ZP member a ray of hope for tribals

MYSORE: Ketamma, Zilla Panchayat member at BR Hills, Chamarajanagar, has taken up several development projects for the uplift of tribals.She has provided water facility to nine villages in BR Hills and is creating awareness among tribals about forest rights and their reservation.She has also taken the initiative to provide title deeds to about 1,500 tribes.She said that many schools have been opened to provide education to the tribals but due to lack of awareness among parents, many are not sending their children to schools.She requested the government to provide special grants under the Tribal Sub-Plan for the welfare of tribes.Hailing from HD Kote, she belongs to the Soliga community and contested in Gram Panchayat elections and was elected in 2000.Since then she has never looked back.From 2000-10, she served as member and president of the Taluk Panchayat and at present she is a ZP member.She said: “I have used the facilities provided by the government and reached this position.Every tribal should be aware of their rights and claim it.At present only about 30 per cent of tribals are aware of their legal issues.” “We have obtained only 50 per cent facilities from the government and are deprived of basic facilities like health, education and transportation.I have taken the initiative to provide drinking water facility to nine villages.,” she said.She added that her next step was to provide good roads and create awareness about the importance of education among the tribals at large.