Anantapur: Sugalis seek social security benefits

Anantapur: Several of Sugali tribes men and women expressed anguish as they were deprived of benefits under government welfare schemes though they belong to Scheduled Tribes. More than 80 ST Sugali tribe families live in NTR Nagar and Leninnagar near TV Tower area in the city outskirts.

Men and women complained to 'The Hans India' that only half of the 80 odd families have ration cards while the remaining does not have ration cards resulting in their exclusion from all government welfare schemes.

Kamalamma and Raju, colony residents complained that their house pattas were taken away and their houses were occupied by some local leaders. The tribal families have taken small loans from the local borrowers.

The colony inmates regretted that they are living in unhygienic conditions as no panchayat sanitary worker comes to clean their colony. As they were excluded from social security system, they are not getting the central and state assistance of Rs.1500 which the white card holders are getting every month as corona allowance. Lakshmi and Kunti Suresh says that neither the government officials nor the volunteers visit them.

`How can we survive during the lock-down when we are not allowed to work and we are not getting any allowance. No one comes to spray chemicals to keep the colony hygienic,'' say the residents. The demand District Collector Gandham Chandrudu to visit their colony and address their problems. Some of them are not getting old age pensions. Many of them work in brick making units (kilns). They are also urging the MLA Anantha Venkatarama Reddy to extend benefits of social security schemes.