Odisha sanctions funds for Konda Reddy students

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday sanctioned nearly Rs.90 lakh for the welfare of Konda Reddy community students in the state, an official said.

"The chief minister has sanctioned Rs.88.90 lakh from his relief funds for the welfare of the students of the Konda Reddy community. The money would be spent for the development of hostels that house the students," an official of the chief minister's office told IANS.

The government sanction comes three months after union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh met people of the community during his visit to the state and highlighted their plight.

About 25,000 people of the community live in the Malkangiri district while another lakh of them stay across the border in Andhra Pradesh.

While in Andhra Pradesh, the Konda Reddys are recognised as a tribal community, they do not have the same status in Odisha. They have been demanding inclusion of their community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

"Maoists have taken advantage of these grievances and built a strong base in the area. We have to address this problem at the earliest," Ramesh had stated in a letter to union Tribal Affairs Minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo in March.