DHARAMSHALA: As a follow-up to the meeting organised by the Ministry of Home Affair, Government of India on 26 February, the office of the Chief Secretary of Karnataka Government convened a meeting of secretaries of the department of Forests, Revenue, Agriculture and Tourism at his chamber in Vidhan Soudha, Bangalore on April 4, 2014.

Mr. Kaushik Mukherjee, Chief Secretary to Government of Karnataka government chaired the meeting.

Kalon Dolma Gyari, Vice chairman, Central Tibetan Relief Committee, Mr. Karma Singey, Chief Representative, South Zone and the Settlement officers of the five Tibetan settlements in Karnataka State attended the meeting.

The meeting focussed on issues pertaining to the provision of land lease documentation to Tibetans in general and particularly on the current status of the land of Kollegal, Mundgod and Hunsur Tibetan settlements which are under the process of releasing from the reserved forests land.

Other issues of discussion included civic amenities particularly the renovation of internal roads in Hunsur and Mundgod settlements, extension of NJY power scheme to Kollegal settlement, provision of ration cards to the monks and nuns living in monasteries, extension of sustenance grants to senior citizens in old-age homes and the availability of agricultural crop loans from MDCC bank to the Tibetan farmers through Tibetan cooperative societies.

The chief secretary assured that he will do his best to provide every possible assistance and support to all the issues raised during the meeting.

The Karnataka tourism department also expressed its interest in promoting tourism in the Tibetan settlements in Karnataka. They said that they will support in organising a Tibet Festival in Bangalore during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birth anniversary.

The meeting ended with vote of thanks to the Chair and all the participants.