Mangaluru : Priyanka Mary Francis, Deputy Commissioner, said on Wednesday that the district administration has already issued instructions to all gram panchayats and urban local bodies to use the grants allocated to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for welfare measures and educational purposes in the ratio of 60:40.

She was chairing a Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Grievances Redress meeting at the District Offices Complex Hall here.

When leaders of SCs/STs communities complained of not getting educational grants, Ms. Francis said that an action plan had been drawn up and 40% of the grants had been reserved for meeting educational expenses of the students from these communities. When there were complaints that students pursuing nursing courses finding it difficult to get educational aid, Ramesh, District Social Welfare Officer, said that the aid was now being given online. The leaders of the SCs/STs communities urged the district administration to give complete information of the land reserved for oppressed classes called the “DC manna bhoomi”. They also demanded repair of a water tank at a SC Colony at Kukkundur village near Karkala. A proposal would be submitted for the construction of a new tank there, they said.

An officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) said that suitable action had been taken on the maintenance of Ashram School at Bannanje here.

Ms. Francis directed Chief Officer of Kundapur Town Municipal Council to inspect and find a solution to the problem of underground drainage near by the Backward Classes and Minorities Hostel in Kundapur.

Some leaders complained that the Panchayat Development Officer and Village Accountant at Barkur and Brahmavar were not responding properly to the problems of the people. There were demands for a proper road to Hallihole village.

The leaders of the SCs/STs communities also lauded the district administration for its decision on a crematorium at Uchila village and also for cancelling the permit of a fish waste powder unit at Hungarcutta. The issue of maintenance of Ambedkar Bhavans in Udupi and Kundapur was also discussed.

Udaykumar Tallur, Shyamraj Birthi, Sundar Master, Manjunath, Anand Matapady, Vijayalakshmi, leaders of SCs/STs communities participated in the meeting.

Vishnuvardhana, Additional Superintendent of Police, was present.