By A Staff Writer
Bengaluru: A report evaluating the gaps and additional requirements in the Central Government sponsored MsDP Scheme in 127 villages of Gulbarga and Bidar districts of Karnataka was released here on December 18 by the Minority Welfare Department of the Government of Karnataka.
The report titled “Multi-sectoral Development Programme for Minorities in Select Districts of Karnataka: A study of gaps, needs and Strategies” runs into 427 pages and was compiled after a study conducted by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). Project Director was Prof. S. Japhet while research team consisted of Prof. Abdul Aziz, Prof. B. Seshadri, Prof. T. R. Chandrashekar, Dr. J. Krishna and Mr. Charles Nelson. It was sponsored by Directorate of Minorities, Govt. of Karnataka.
The 127 villages are part of Bidar, Humnabad and Chittapur blocks. The study takes a look at Housing, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Anganwadis, education (Primary and Middle school), health, drinking water facility and sanitation facility in the case of villages; and, education (from high schools to PU colleges), health facilities (Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) and Block level Hospitals), skill training (ITIs, Polytechnics), and income generation activities in the case of blocks; and education (Primary schools to PU colleges), hostels for boys and girls, and ITIs, Polytechnics and artisan training institutions in the case of urban local bodies.
Bidar, Humnabad, and Chittapur consists of 44.26, 36.82, and 37.26 per cent of minority population. Percentage of households below poverty line is also very high in these three blocks. 70.8, 64.33, and 59.36 percent of the minority households are in the BPL category which itself depicts that minority population in these three blocks do not have sufficient livelihood opportunities.
Better Quality of Water
In almost all the three blocks the total enrolment in the Higher primary Schools (upto 7th std.) and High Schools proportion of minority students enrolled is less than the proportion of the general population. Moreover, it is disheartening that the students` strength in High schools is almost half of what it is in Higher Primary Schools owing to dropout of students. The report’s findings point out that 33 more high schools were needed in the three blocks to bring about reasonable standard of education among the minority people. It also stresses the need for more space for 51 schools in the three blocks. It finds water supply to be adequate in all villages but recommends better quality of water in Humnabad taluk where considerable number of households received contaminated water.
The study says more than 80% of the households in these blocks require toilet facilities and coverage of households under toilet construction programme is inadequate. It recommends a separate scheme to build toilets.
It may be noted that the MsDP scheme is being implemented in 90 minority concentrated district across the country. Of these, two districts are in Karnataka namely Gulbarga (now Kalburgi) and Bidar. After Gulbarga having been split into two district, the scheme covers three districts namely Yadgir, Gulbarga and Bidar.
The report can be had from Directorate of Minorities, 20th floor, Visveswaraya Towers, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru-560001, email: [email protected],
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