Labour Minister and Dharwad district in-charge Santosh Lad has directed the district administration to send proposals for converting habitats of forest dwellers in Dharwad and Alnavar taluks into revenue villages and for providing the requisite infrastructure to them.
He was chairing a meeting on issues concerning the Gouli (traditional cattle rearers) community and cultivators of farming society land in Dharwad on Tuesday.
Mr. Lad asked the officials to take steps to convert habitats n Shivanagar, Renukanagar, T.R. Nagar, Linganakoppa, Kokkarewad, Udavanagalavi and Hunasi Kumari areas into revenue villages.
Referring to Shivanagar Gouli Wada on Alnavar route where members of Gouli community are residing for the last four decades, he said that it is the responsibility of the government to provide basic amenities and infrastructure to them.
The officials informed the meeting that the resolutions passed in the gram sabha and other meetings will be submitted to the Deputy Conservator of Forests. The officials from the Forest Department informed the meeting that only dwelling places can be converted into revenue villages.
During the meeting, the issues concerning various dwelling places of forest dwellers were deliberated upon and the officials were told to take the requisite action at the earliest.
The issue of issuing of record of rights to farmers who have been cultivating land belonging to farming societies, which was discussed during the previous meeting, again came up for discussion and the officials told the meeting that the process has been initiated. The beneficiaries are required to submit their applications under Society Act using Form 57.
Deputy Conservator of Forest Sonal Vrishni, Assistant Conservator of Forest Parimala Hulagannavar, tahsildars Doddappa Hugar and Basavaraj Benneshirur and others were present.
