Jhodias meet MP, demand tribal status

Koraput: A delegation of the Jhodia community led by Sumani Jhodia met Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka in New Delhi on Wednesday reiterating their demand of giving tribal status to their community.“For the past several years, we have been demanding tribal status for our community but to no avail. From time to time, we have staged demonstrations demanding this but the government has turned a deaf ear to our demand,” said Sumani. The Jhodia population stands around 50,000 who live in around 85 villages, particularly in the Kasipur block of Rayagada district, and eke out a living by collecting forest produce and engaging themselves as daily-wage labourers. “I have verified the current status of the demand of the Jhodias and it was found that the matter is pending with the home ministry for approval. I will follow up with concerned ministers and the registrar general of India to ensure that Jhodia community is included in the list of ST in the bill for Odisha,” said Ulaka. tnn