Mangaluru: There is a need to conduct a survey on SC families without housing sites in the district, Social Welfare Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said on Monday.

There are 28 lakh SC families in the state and many do not have sites, he said.

He was addressing officials during a review meeting on Special Component Plan (SCP) for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) for Scheduled Tribes (STs) at Zilla Panchayat Hall in Mangaluru.

The survey report should be submitted within a week, he added.

The funds earmarked for the welfare of SC/STs should be utilised effectively. There is a delay in the implementation of various projects, which should be avoided, he said.

The government has decided to give upto 75 units of free electricity to SC/ST community members in the state. It will cost Rs 640 crore to the government, he said.

The survey should be conducted on the number of people from the SC/ST community engaged in inland and traditional fishing in the district. There is a scheme to provide two-wheelers to 100 fishermen in each Assembly constituency by the fisheries department. There is a need to identify the beneficiaries, he added.

"Steps should be taken to ensure that children from SC/ST communities do not remain out of the portals of anganwadi centres. Land should be identified for the construction of anganwadi buildings. Over 52 anganwadi centres are running in rented buildings," he said.

Social Welfare Department Commissioner Akash Kumar said the department is ready to build anganwadi centres.