Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday promised to provide permanent housing for destitutes living in the Didalli forest range in South Karnataka, about 250 km from Bengaluru.

The move is aimed at quelling protests by forest dwellers.

However, senior forest officials say that the area under question is notified as forest land and any move to allow dwellings in notified forest lands would give rise to more such claims elsewhere.

The state government’s move comes around four months after a tribal woman paraded naked to protest against the eviction of nearly 587 households from the forest range by authorities.

Kodagu is home to many tribal communities like Jenu Kuruba and Kaadu Kurubas who are mostly employed in coffee estates with only a few living near forest areas.

At least two senior ministers from Siddaramaiah’s cabinet are expected to visit the range next week to examine if the current dwellings are in forest land or revenue land, Siddaramaiah said after meeting with representatives of protesting tribals on Tuesday.

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