A DH report on Devadasi families, especially women struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the lockdown, has caught the attention of the Karnataka Legal Services Authority and the BJP Yuva Morcha, who swiftly swung into action to ensure help reaches the needy.
Taking cognisance of the report, representatives of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Koppal, went along with a team of government officials to check the ground reality and compiled a report, as per the directions of the executive chairman of Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KLSA) Justice Aravind Kumar.
The report, submitted by T Srinivas, member secretary, DLSA, noted that there were 108 Devadasis residing in a colony, 3 km from Hiresindogi village in Koppal district.
After listening to the issues faced by the community, the team ensured that the district administration provided supplies to those in need. The report stated that while many had collected rations three days ago, some could not owing to lack of transportation facility. They also had a problem as the authorities asked for the one-time password to collect ration, but they did not have mobile phones.
The report said that direction was given to the fair price shop owner to supply rations to the houses of the Devadasis. “By the intervention of the KSLA, Bengaluru and DSLA, Koppal, the problem of rations was resolved. Further, considering the genuine problem in respect of transportation, I have directed the officials concerned to open a sub-branch shop at Devadasi colony itself for supplying rations to them,” the report said.
According to Laxman Badali, Deputy Director, Department of Social Welfare, Koppal, the officials supplied essential items like sugar, salt, dal, turmeric and soap, ensuring that there was no shortage of supplies to any family.
The report also caught the attention of BJP Yuva Morcha general secretary B Y Vijayendra, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s son. “I read the DH report and asked a team of Yuva Morcha to visit the place and take stock of their problems,” he said.