Banjara Tandas to be given group status for development : Fadnavis

Mumbai, July 15, 2019 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis today assured the Gor-Banjara delegation that the Banjara Tanda will be given the status of a group in the gram panchayat for providing separate funds from its development. Besides, every effort will be done for educational and skill development of the community.

He was talking at the meeting with a delegation of Gor-Banjara community that called on the Chief Minister at Mantralaya today for their various demands.

MoS Revenue Sanjay Rathod, MLAs Nilay Naik, Haribhau Rathod, Tushar Rathod, National President of Gor-Banjara Community Shankar Pawar, Raju Naik, Former Andhra Pradesh Minsiter Ammasingh Tilawat, and office-bearers of the state-level organizations of the community were present on this occasion.

The delegation honoured Chief Minster Fadanvis for giving funds for development of ‘Samadhi’ of Sant Sewalal, at Pohragad, starting Sant Sewalal Jayanti, and recommendation to the central government for inclusion of Gor dialect into the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

Chief Minister Fadanvis further said that the Banjara community Tandas stay away from development and therefore, they will be given a status of a separate group so that they can be given funds from the finance commission and according to population standards. Separate schemes for Tanda development can also be implemented and funds for roads, water supply can be made available on priority, he added.

The Chief Minister also assured that directives will be issued to take positive action for increasing seats for Banjara students in the social justice department-run hostels; inclusion of folk arts into state’s cultural policy, setting up skill development centre at Pohragad and funds for skill development courses, establishing Gor-Banjara Academy, giving land for Gor-Banjara Community Hall (Samaj Bahvan), setting up Vasantrao Naik Chair at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University etc.

Discussion was held on making market available for artefacts of Gor-Banjara community members under the cluster schemes in Banjara majority districts, caste certificates and land for Tandas etc.