Nomadic tribal group gets Aadhaar

Kattupaniya members were deprived of Govt. incentives, including free ration, during pandemic

Members of Kattupaniya, a nomadic tribal group that was rehabilitated from caves near the South Wayanad-Nilambur Forest Division a few years ago, have enrolled for Aadhaar cards on the intervention of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

As many as 33 members of the vulnerable tribal group had been rehabilitated from the Nilambur forest at Erattakkundu Colony near Attamala seven years ago. However, details of 20 members have not been entered in Government records. District Sub Judge K. Rajesh, who is also the secretary of DLSA, Wayanad, visited the tribal hamlet a few weeks ago as part of the Pan India Legal Awareness and Outreach Campaign of the National Legal Services Authority. During the visit, Mr. Rajesh was told that the tribal group had been deprived of Government incentives, including free ration during the pandemic.

As many as 18 children, who were born in the hamlet, do not have birth certificates, as their mothers were not admitted to hospitals for delivery.