Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday distributed title deeds (hakku patra) to eligible beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages of Karnataka.

Addressing a gathering, the prime minister recalled that the Constitution of India came into force in the month of January and the rights of the citizens were ensured in independent India. In this holy month of January, he said, the government of Karnataka has taken a significant step towards social justice.

Remarking on the momentous occasion for the Banjara community when more than 50,000 families received title deeds for the first time, he said this will ensure a bright future for the sons and daughters of such families living in ‘tanda’ inhabitations and took the opportunity to congratulate the citizens of the Banjara community of the five districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura.

Modi lauded the Karnataka government for taking the crucial decision to declare more than 3,000 tanda inhabitations as revenue villages and congratulated Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai and his entire team for this remarkable step.

Recalling his connection with the region and the Banjara community, the prime minister noted that the people from this community have contributed toward national development in their own ways. He recalled the unforgettable moment when lakhs of Banjara families had come for a rally that he had attended during the 1994 assembly elections, and mothers and sisters in their traditional attire had showered their blessings upon him.

PM Modi said that the Banjara community has seen tough days, however, now the time has come for them to live with ease and dignity. He talked about the measures like scholarships for Banjara community youth and help with livelihood, pakka houses. He said problems arising due to the nomadic lifestyle are also being addressed. The Prime Minister said that the steps taken today were recommended in 1993, however, this got delayed in the vote bank politics. “But now that indifferent atmosphere has changed”, said the Prime Minister.

He noted the employment opportunities that are being created by the Karnataka government for the Banjara community. Be it forest produce, dry wood, honey, fruits or other such produce, these are now becoming a source of income. He said that the previous governments used to give MSPs on only a handful of forest produce but today that number has gone up to more than 90 forest produce and reiterated the decisions of the Karnataka government that will benefit the Banjara community in this regard.

In line with the prime minister’s vision of 100 per cent saturation of government schemes, about 1475 unrecorded habitations have been declared as New Revenue villages in five districts of Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura.