Women’s panel to make recommendations to improve tribespeople’s lives at Kottoor

The Kerala Women’s Commission will recommend to the government to improve the lives of the tribal community at Kottoor in Kuttichal grama panchayat, commission chairperson P. Satheedevi has said.

The Kerala Women’s Commission will recommend to the government to improve the lives of the tribal community at Kottoor in Kuttichal grama panchayat, commission chairperson P. Satheedevi has said.

She was speaking after visiting houses at Kottoor as part of a Scheduled Tribe zonal camp organised by the commission there on Saturday. She was accompanied by commission members Indira Raveendran and V.R. Mahilamani and director Shaji Sugunan.

Ms. Satheedevi said agricultural produce grown on land in possession of the tribespeople here was their means of livelihood. They needed to be trained in modern agricultural methods. A mechanism that would help them increase production of crops such as rubber, pepper, turmeric, and areca nut and sell them at a good price without being exploited was also required.

A number of girls and boys here stopped their education after completing Plus Two. Tribal facilitators and learning rooms had been arranged for their higher education. The youth had also pointed out that they were not in a position to go to distant places and undergo coaching for PSC examinations. Providing coaching, including that for PSC, in the learning rooms would improve their employment prospects.

Arrangements should be made for distribution of pension to the elderly at their homes. The commission also observed that the people did not have adequate awareness of welfare projects launched for their uplift. The panchayat and the Scheduled Tribe Development department should intervene to ensure that the pension scheme for cancer patients and welfare schemes and benefits reached the deserving.

Ms. Satheeddevi also stressed the need for coordinating development and welfare projects in the tribal area at a meeting of officials of various departments at the Mannamkonam community hall at Kottoor.

There was need to look into ways for students in Kottoor to continue their education and for the youth to get employment. There was also need to prevent students from dropping out of school. Roads to tribal settlements should be made motorable and means of transport ensured. Street lights should be installed, she said.