Silvester D'Souza

Daijworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Dec 30: Residents of Koraga colony in Kaltodu village in the taluk, where state social welfare and backward classes welfare minister, H Anjaneya, will be staying for a day on the new year eve in accordance with his village stay programme, are expecting the visit to bring major changes in their standard of living. The people are ready with a set of demands to be placed before the minister towards improving their conditions of living.

Six Koraga families live in Muroor Koragara colony which falls under Byndoor constituency. Most of them work as coolies. Five of these families have got title deeds from the government, and the remaining lone family has been trying to secure the same. Three of these houses have recently been given single phase power connection under Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme, but because of voltage fluctuations, most of the time they depend on kerosene lamp for lighting. A couple of these houses have toilets, and the others depend on open defecation. The only well in the colony has dried up and the families toil hard everyday to gain access to potable water. The colony also suffers from lack of school nearby, absence of connecting road, bridge etc.

The residents say that their repeated representations to the government seeking to solve these problems have failed to get necessary response. Now their hopes of getting major reliefs because a state minister would be staying with them overnight have been kindled. The bridge across Hilkal rivulet that lies across the road to the colony has been half-finished for want of grants. It is said tht recently the balance grant has been sanctioned. Because there is no bridge here, people have to traverse 20 km to reach Kaltodu which is just eight kms away. The minister, who will arrive here on December 31 too will have to cross this rivulet and then walk to the colony for several kilometres through forest terrain.

A list of demands prepared by the residents here includes three phase power, road repair, completion of bridge at an early date, drinking water, high school, title deeds to all etc. They feel that their prayers to mitigate the problems have been heard by God who has arranged for a messiah for them in the form of Anjenaye.

As the family of Marli Koraga, where the minister will be staying, has been told that the minister would be having home made food, the family says it will make chapathis along with a couple of side dishes. Gulabi, a member of the family, disclosed that they wanted to prepare non-vegetarian food for the minister but they learnt hat the minister would have only vegetarian food. Therefore, they will make vegetarian food for some Koraga organization leaders and a few others accompanying the minister too.

Another woman from the colony said that her family comprising herself, daughter and a small grandson, have not been able to complete their house for which foundation was laid a year ago for want of financial resources. She expects some positive response to her request for help from the minster to complete construction of her house.