Bengaluru, Jun 11 (PTI) Amid reports that a majority of community halls and student hostels sanctioned to the backward classes in the current fiscal have gone to organisations and trusts affiliated with the Kuruba community, to which he belongs, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah clarified on Thursday that no discrimination has been made against any community.
Siddaramaiah stated that requests from other communities are also under review, and funding will be provided to them in the future. He explained that the Kuruba community received a larger allocation primarily due to a higher number of applications submitted by organisations within that community.
According to reports citing a recent order, 80 of the 155 community halls and hostels were sanctioned by the Backward Classes Welfare Department to the Kuruba community.
Siddaramaiah resigned as chief minister of Karnataka on May 28, and the approvals were said to have been given during his tenure.
“The State Department of Backward Classes Welfare reviewed the requests submitted by various organisations and associations representing different backward communities and has granted preliminary approval for the construction of community halls and student hostels for approximately 155 backward-class organisations at a cost of Rs 71.85 crore,” Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.
Noting that this is not the final list of beneficiaries, he said, “Requests submitted by other backward communities are also being examined, and funds will be released to them in the future.” He reiterated that the Kuruba community received a larger allocation only because a higher number of applications were submitted by organisations belonging to that community, adding that “No discrimination has been made intentionally against any community.” Siddaramaiah mentioned that along with the Kuruba community, preliminary approval has also been issued for the construction of community halls and student hostels for communities such as Madivala, Lingayat, Vokkaliga, Besta, Balija, Golla, Jetti, Kumbara, Arasu, Helava, Savita Samaja, Uppara, Ganiga, Kuruhina Shetty, Halakki, and Reddy.
“This order is not an order for the release of funds. To receive the grant, the concerned organisations must submit documents to the Department of Backward Classes Welfare through the Deputy Commissioner of their respective district. These documents include proof that the land/site is registered in the organisation’s name, a building license from the local municipality or panchayat, and the organisation’s audited reports for the last three years, among other required records,” he explained.
Stating that the government has issued guidelines for the release of grants, he further noted that the grant will be released in three phases, contingent upon reviewing the progress of the construction. The progress of each project will be assessed annually, and funding will be released based on this evaluation, he said.
This is an ongoing process, Siddaramaiah clarified, adding that funds will be allocated according to the prescribed categories under the OBC list. PTI KSU MPL MPL
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