MYSURU: Stoking a controversy, Mysuru Kodagu MP Pratap Simha directed tribal welfare department officials in Mysuru not to provide government benefits including special rations for tribal who have converted to other religions.
He said those wearing a "cross" are not tribals and should be filtered out from the beneficiaries list.
The district of Mysuru has a high density of tribals who are largely concentrated in the taluks of Hunsur, HD Kote, Periyapatna and Nanjangud spread over 155 hamlets.
The comment came at the trimonthly Disha progress review meeting of the district where Simha questioned the officials whether rations are being properly distributed in the tribal areas alleging conversions are rampant there. "If you are distributing rations properly, why are conversions rampant in the area," he asked the tribal welfare department official.
He directed the officials not to provide government benefits including rations to them and filter out such individuals citing the recent comments made in the parliament about those converted to Christianity and Islam not being eligible for reservation.
Later at the meeting, while discussing allocations for development projects, the MP asked the officials to allocate more funds under the 15th finance commission for Savarna areas remarking that they are not getting a fair share of development projects compared to the adjacent areas populated by SC/ST communities.
"While SC/ST areas get a good deal of allocations and projects, the 'savarna' areas are underdeveloped. In the 15th finance commission, allocate more funds to such areas," remarked the MP.