Bengaluru: Minister Priyank Kharge directed the Social Welfare department to provide nutritious food items to the Kudiya community who lost their homes during the floods at Kodagu district.

The Social Welfare department which has started feeding around 400 families belonging to the Kudiya community plans to bring them under the welfare umbrella, department officials said.

The minister was alerted of the situation after some officials visited the flood hit areas in the district.

The government had earlier implemented a programme under which vulnerable communities and those belonging to Scheduled Tribes, such as Jenu Kuruba, Erava, Soliga and Kadu Kuruba in Kodagu district, and Kadu Kuruba, Jenu Kuruba, Soliga, Irava, Siddi, Male Kudi, Kudiya, Gowdalu and Hasalaru tribes living in forest areas of Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts, have been receiving additional food supplies along with their allotted rations.

Families from these communities are given 15 kg of staple grains, like rice, wheat or ragi, 5 kg of toor dal, 5 kg of pulses, such as horse gram, cowpea or green gram, 2 litres of cooking oil, 4 kg of sugar and jaggery, 45 eggs and 1 kg Nandini ghee every month.

This is in addition to the rations they receive under the Anna Bhagya scheme. 41,476 tribal families living in eight districts have been brought under the scheme. The government has allocated Rs 60 crore per year for the programme.

“Tribal communities living near forest areas must not suffer from malnutrition,” said Deputy Chief Minister Dr G. Parameshwar.

Kharge said that during the survey at the flood hit areas, we figured out that the Kudiya community is not receiving benifits as compared to the other tribes. Chances of malnutrition are quite high among such communities. Immediate steps will be implemented to rectify the situation. The department will be providing nutritious food and we will ensure that we will do all that we can to provide them infrastructure and livelihood opportunities.”