Mangaluru: Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhushan Gulabrao Borase visited Koraga families who have been residing in a deplorable condition at Atrinje in Sulkeri Gram Panchayat of Belthangady taluk on Wednesday.

The issue of pathetic condition of Koragas was brought to his notice at the SC/ST grievances meeting held at Belthangady just a few minutes before he decided to visit the spot. Amid the pouring rain, he crossed an overflowing stream using a delicate bridge made of a wooden logs to reach the village.

The Koraga families do not have ration cards, proper houses to dwell and they lack basic facilities. They have been living in huts constructed using plastic sheets. Realising the gravity of situation, the SP promised to hold talks with the Deputy Commissioner K G Jagadeesha and Zilla Panchayat CEO P I Sreevidya to help the families.

He said he will make arrange for admission to a hostel for a child from a Koraga family, who had stayed out of school, to pursue his education.The Koraga families appealed to the SP to sanction government land to construct houses to dwell.

In the recently held meeting of Dakshina Kannada district Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee chaired by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, the deputy commissioner had directed ITDP official to build confidence in the families that they will not be evicted. The five Koraga families will not be asked to vacate unless they have been given land to construct houses by the authorities, he had said.