Devadasi survey prone to be prolonged by a month, owing to gradual progress

The ongoing re-survey of Devadasis in Karnataka could be prolonged by another month until December 31, The Hindu has learnt from extremely positioned sources.

The survey, which commenced on September 15, was deliberate to be held for 45 working days, ending on November 21.

“However, contemplating the advanced and time-consuming nature of the survey, the Minister for Women and Child Development has directed for an extension. The order is but to be issued,” an official mentioned.

Poor numbers

Around 20 days into the survey, solely about 15,000 Devadasi ladies throughout 15 districts within the State have enrolled themselves. The documented variety of Devadasi ladies throughout the 2008-2009 survey was 46,660. The present enrolment quantity is barely round one-third of this, hinting at gradual progress.

One of the calls for within the letters despatched by the Karnataka Vimuktha Devadasi Mahila Mathu Makkala Vedike and the Centre for Study of Inclusion on the National Law School of India University to the federal government was an extension of the survey timeline. According to the activists, the notice amongst group members concerning the survey remained low, and the survey mandate to acquire a number of paperwork from completely different departments was time-consuming.

Review conferences held 

The Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC), the nodal company for conducting the survey, on Wednesday held a evaluation assembly by which round 60 ladies from the Devadasi group from completely different districts participated.

Manjula Malagi, convener on the Karnataka Vimuktha Devadasi Mahila Mathu Makkala Vedike, expressed optimism after reportedly receiving constructive responses from the federal government officers. “The officers assured to look into considerations round age criterion and promised to make sure sufficient amenities at survey centres,” she mentioned.

According to her, one of many largest difficulties earlier than the group members, particularly kids of deceased Devadasi ladies, was to show their Devadasi household tree.

Mahesh Babu, MD at WCD, nevertheless, famous that a number of choices are in place already for a similar. “There are already databases of Aadhaar holders — dwelling and lifeless — and the 32,000 Devadasi ladies are receiving pension. But there are a couple of who died earlier than receiving the Aadhaar and whose household should be registered within the present survey. Those households can strategy the officers who keep the delivery and dying registrar by way of DC. We have knowledgeable these officers relating to the survey.” 

He added that the officers have been sensitised to offer the certificates with out harassing the candidates. “New candidates can strategy the DC and Tahsildar committee who will take a name on it,” he added. 

Drive proposed

The division additionally held a evaluation assembly relating to the continued survey for gender minorities. Sana Suman, member of the State committee for survey of gender minorities, termed the survey constructive and famous that the officers responded to a number of ideas in affirmative.

“G. Padmavathi,Chairperson of Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation, has agreed to take our calls for relating to door-to-door survey and survey at group organisations to the Women and Child Development Minister,” mentioned Ms. Suman.

“We additionally requested an extension of the survey timeline. She orally promised us that she would suggest an extension of 15 days,” she added. 

The survey has been seeing poor turnout in Bengaluru Urban with solely round 500 people turning up for the survey to date. Across Karnataka, round 8,000 people have registered up to now. “To increase the mobilisation, we recommended organising a big camp the place all of the enumerators can collect to organise a drive,” mentioned Ms. Suman