KALABURAGI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the ‘Hakku Patra’ (land title deed) distribution drive for over 52,000 nomadic Lambani (Banjara) families in five districts in north Karnataka. The Prime Minister distributed ‘Hakku Patra’ to five nomadic couples on the occasion.

This Hakku Patra will secure future of thousands of people living in the “Thandas” (Lambani habitats) in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgiri, Raichur and Vijayapura districts, he noted.

“It’s a big day for the people of Banjara (Lambani nomadic) community as over 50,000 people will get their own roof by way of Hakku Patra”, the PM said at a public meeting at Malkhed in this district.

Way back in 1993, it was recommended to give revenue village status to ‘Thandas’ but the political party that remained in power for the longest period used the Lambanis as the vote-bank and never tried to improve the living condition of these backward families, he claimed.

“Those living in Thandas had to wage a long struggle for their rights and face many difficulties. They had to wait for a long time,” Modi said.

“But now the depressing atmosphere is changing. I want to assure the Banjara mothers that their son (Modi) is sitting in Delhi.”

Modi pointed out that the Banjaras were getting the title deed on the land they held for several decades in the ‘auspicious’ January as this was the month when the constitution was implemented and the countrymen got their fundamental rights. Today in this auspicious January, Karnataka has taken steps for social justice to the people, he said.

Invoking the name of 12th Century AD social reformer Basaveshwara, whose followers known as Lingayat form a dominant community in North Karnataka, Modi said the ‘double engine government’ (BJP government at the centre and Karnataka) has opened the way for good administration and harmony, which are the basic fundamentals of the teachings of ‘Basavanna.’

“The Banjara nomadic tribe had faced much inconvenience for decades. Now you got an opportunity to lead a live with honour and dignity,” the Prime Minister said, referring to the BJP government’s scheme in poll-bound Karnataka, which will go for Assembly elections in four months.

He also told the gathering that the Centre has introduced Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) Scheme under which property cards in land holders. Now, the Banjara community will also get the same facility enabling them to get toilet in every house, electricity, water, and cooking gas connection.

Slamming the Congress indirectly, Modi said even after so many decades of Indian independence, there are communities which are deprived of development and was outside the purview of government assistance.

“Those who ruled the country for maximum years took votes from the deprived community but did not take concrete steps to uplift them,” the Prime Minister charged.

For the first time such downtrodden communities are getting their rights due to a clear strategy for their empowerment, Modi said.

He also apprised the crowd about the various pro-people measures such as Ayushman Bharat, free ration, loans through Jan Dhan account and PM SVANidhi scheme.

According to Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka, 51,900 ‘Hakku Patras’ (land title deeds) were given away which would be registered in the World Book of Records.