Bhovi welfare schemes in Udupi face implementation delays, with only two of 21 applicants receiving benefits linked to stone-quarry allocation, Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation chairperson M Ramappa said at an official review meeting on Wednesday.
Ramappa directed officials to ensure that welfare programmes for the social, educational and economic development of the Bhovi community reach eligible poor, destitute and marginalised people in a timely manner. He was speaking at a progress review and consultative meeting with community leaders and workers at the deputy commissioner’s office in Udupi.
The chairperson said the state government had introduced six separate guarantee schemes for the development of the Bhovi community, in addition to five guarantee schemes intended for the wider population. He said public representatives and officials were responsible for ensuring that eligible beneficiaries were not excluded from the programmes.
Access to Scheduled Caste certificates was identified as a major requirement for the community’s social, educational and economic advancement. Ramappa asked revenue officials to take the initiative when applicants submit original documents, verify the records and coordinate the process so that eligible applicants receive their certificates.
The Bhovi community’s traditional occupation is stone cutting. According to the report presented at the meeting, the government has made provisions to allocate stone quarries measuring up to two acres. In Udupi, 21 people have applied for the benefit, but only two have received it so far.
The remaining applications have been forwarded to the forest and revenue departments for no-objection certificates. Ramappa said delays in issuing the NOCs were holding up the process and instructed officials to follow up on the pending cases. He directed them to proceed with quarry allocation according to the applicable rules within two months.
The quarry process involves coordination between departments responsible for revenue and forests, making the delivery of the benefit dependent not only on the corporation’s schemes but also on administrative clearances. The meeting therefore focused on moving applications through the interdepartmental process rather than announcing a new allocation policy.
Education was another focus of the review. Ramappa said children from the Bhovi community should be supported in pursuing higher education and called for measures to enrol more students in prestigious schools. The corporation’s managing director, Chandra Nayak, provided details of the schemes being implemented and the difficulties faced by applicants seeking Scheduled Caste certificates.
MLAs Yashpal A Suvarna, Gurme Suresh Shetty, Kiran Kumar Kodgi and Gururaj Shetty Gantihole, along with Udupi District Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee chairperson Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Coastal Development Authority chairperson MA Gafoor and deputy commissioner Swaroopa TK, attended the meeting. Officials were directed to follow up on the pending forest and revenue clearances and complete the quarry allocation process within two months.
