Adivasis fear becoming a minority after district division

Joint Collector S. Sunder Abner says their apprehension is unfounded as their development will be routed through ITDA, Utnoor

May 27, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 08:08 am IST - ADILABAD:

Changing geography:The first road bend on Kerameri ghat section likely to be the border between Adilabad and the new district to be carved out in the coming months. Photo: S. Harpal Singh

Changing geography:The first road bend on Kerameri ghat section likely to be the border between Adilabad and the new district to be carved out in the coming months. Photo: S. Harpal Singh

Bifurcating Adilabad district is likely to be a smooth affair, though Adivasis seem to be somewhat concerned about their status in the emerging entities. In all probability, the division will have ten Assembly constituencies shared equally between the parent and the new district which, in case of Adilabad, will also have the geographical area shared equally.

The tribal population in the district is 4,95,794 (according to 2011 census) and as much of 75 per cent of it comprises aboriginal tribes such as Gonds, Kolams, Pardhans, Thottis, Naikpods and some others. The Adivasis fear that the division of the district might render them a minority in either entity.

“This is a wrong conception,” says Joint Collector S. Sunder Abner, who is looking into the bifurcation issue.

“The fear among Adivasis is unfounded as their development will be routed through Integrated Tribal Development Agency, Utnoor, which will function in both the districts,” he adds.

The number of mandals in the parent and the new district will also be equal i.e., 26, but the division of tribal population will not be. In the new district which will cover Asifabad, Surpur, Bellampally, Mancherial and Chennur constituencies, the tribals will number 2,15,020, while in Adilabad their population will be 2,80,774 consisting of a large chunk of the plains’ tribe, the Lambadas.

“Discussions on reorganisation of the district are still on. We might include some of the tribal mandals of Asifabad constituency like Jainoor in Adilabad district while Jannaram in Khanapur constituency of Adilabad district might be included in the new district given their distance from the existing and the new district headquarters,” the Joint Collector reveals.

If that were to happen, then the government will include Jainoor, Sirpur (U) and Narnoor mandals of the vast Asifabad constituency in Adilabad district owing to their proximity to Adilabad town. These mandals have cumulative tribal population of 96,312.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abner said that the government was thinking of bifurcating Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial and Kagaznagar mandals into two, besides creating a new Revenue Division at Bhainsa.

“The idea is to help people get easy access to administration,” he observes.

Another interesting feature is that only a senior Collector would be posted in the parent district while a new recruit would be in the saddle in the new entity. The government was also planning to club organisations like SC and BC Corporations, the DRDA and DWMA and continue with the existing set up in Forest, Water Grid of Transco.

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