from Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Aug 25: The State government is waiting for the report from the experts committee to push forward the case of state's tribal Dhangar community to be included in the scheduled tribe list.

State Minister for social welfare Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, in a reply to the ongoing state legislative assembly session, has said that the officials of the post-graduate department of anthropology, Karnataka University, Dharwad, have already undertaken the anthropological investigation in the State to prepare an anthropological report on the Dhangar community.

The community locally known as Gouly' has been demanding the classification as a scheduled tribe to reap the reservation benefit besides other facilities.

Chandrakant Kavalekar, a legislator, who belongs to the community, tabled the question on the floor of the house.

The minister said that once the report is submitted to the government, the issue will be taken up with the central government.

Dhavalikar said that the state government has already notified 'Gouly development plan' and the budget provision of Rs 20 lac has been made in the budget estimate 2008-09 for the welfare of Dhangar community.

The state government pointed out that the community is already availing the facilities as they are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC).