Karnataka CM's Meeting Reveals 1,050 Tribal Families Landless, 1,182 Have Land but Lack Houses in Kodagu

Despite progress, many hamlets on forest fringes still lack reliable electricity, while thousands of families remain landless or live without proper housing.

Bengaluru: In Kodagu, tribal communities continue to face significant challenges related to basic amenities, including housing, electricity, and land rights. In a meeting chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, 26 November, it was revealed that 1,050 families are landless, while 1,182 families have land but lack houses in the district.

Despite progress, many hamlets on forest fringes still lack reliable electricity, while thousands of families remain landless or live without proper housing.

According to a release by the Chief Minister’s Office(CMO) in Kodagu, there are 228 hamlets with a total population of 26,909. Out of 211 hamlets on the forest fringes, 154 have electricity, while 57 out of 74 hamlets inside the forests also have power. However, 17 hamlets still lack electricity. To address this, the government has installed solar lamps in five hamlets, with a call for swift approval of pending proposals for permanent electricity connections.

Regarding housing, 2,882 families in Kodagu have permanent houses, but 1,050 families are landless, and 1,182 families have land but no houses, stated in the release. The Chief Minister directed district officials to identify alternate plots for landless families and ensure that housing under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation is provided to families with land but no homes.

In a significant move, Siddaramaiah chaired a 3 hours and 20 minutes meeting with tribal communities, ministers, MLA’s and officials, marking the first such discussion in 15 years. 

The meeting, aimed at addressing the challenges faced by tribal populations residing in forests and on forest fringes, resulted in several on-the-spot directives and a strong warning to district officials about the timely implementation of decisions.

The Chief Minister assured the gathering that another meeting would be convened in two months to review the progress of these measures. He warned that failure to implement the decisions would result in strict action against district officials.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the meeting.

Housing Challenges and Solutions

According to a release from Chief Minister’s office, the meeting shed light on housing issues across districts:

• In Kodagu, 1,050 families are landless, and 1,182 families have land but lack houses.

• In Mysuru, 2,963 families are landless, while 1,222 families have land but lack houses.

• In Chamarajanagar, 234 families are landless, and 2,761 families have land but no houses.

  
  

Electricity Connectivity

• In Kodagu, 154 out of 211 forest-fringe hamlets have electricity. Of the 74 forest hamlets, 57 are electrified, while 17 rely on solar lamps.

• In Mysuru, 194 forest-fringe hamlets have electricity. Of the 21 hamlets inside forests, three have electricity, while 18 rely on solar lamps installed by the Energy Department.

• In Chamarajanagar, all 125 forest-fringe hamlets have electricity. Among the 33 forest hamlets, 15 are electrified, while the remaining 18 use solar lamps.

  
  

Population statistics revealed 49,778 people across 215 hamlets in Mysuru, 27,763 across 158 hamlets in Chamarajanagar, and 26,909 across 228 hamlets in Kodagu. Meanwhile, Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda and Virajpet MLA and Chief Minister's legal advisor AS Ponnanna were present in the meeting.

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