Why is the logic of administrative convenience not being applied to the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) at Utnoor as was done to initiate trifurcation of Adilabad district? The suggestion of establishing a new ITDA at Rajampet village near Asifabad has been proffered by Adivasis as an alternative to formation of a district comprising exclusively of areas inhabited by tribals.
“Though we are rooted to the idea of an exclusive district for us, the next best thing would be an ITDA at Rajampet,” opined Sidam Gangadhar, president of the Kolam Vidyarthi Sangham from Adavi Sarangapur in Kadem mandal. “It would benefit the aboriginal tribes who will figure under the proposed Kumram Bheem Mancherial (KBM) district in about a month’s time,” he observed.
The ITDA at Utnoor is responsible for development and protects various interests of the 4.95 lakh tribal population scattered all over the Adilabad district at present. After division, the tribal population will get divided into three with residuary Adilabad being left with 2.65 lakh (35 per cent of its 7.6 lakh population), KBM getting 1.5 lakh of them (12 per cent of the 12.65 population) and the remaining 80,576 going to Nirmal district (11 per cent of its population of 7 lakh).
The parent Adilabad will have five completely-scheduled mandals and 11 partially-scheduled mandals with 284 scheduled villages and 128 habitations of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG). Similarly, KBM district will comprise of 15 partially-scheduled mandals with 128 scheduled villages and 186 habitations of PVTGs while Nirmal will have no scheduled mandals or villages, but only 10 PVTG habitations which negates any need for an ITDA.
Though the distance from any corner of the district to Utnoor, the present ITDA headquarters, will remain the same, problems will arise in recruitment for jobs, coordination with line departments conducting general body meetings etc. The ITDA will also have to have chairmen from three districts.
An ITDA at Rajampet will be easily accessible to tribals living in the remote Bejjur mandal than Utnoor. They need to cover only about 85 km to reach it rather than travel about 155 km to reach the present ITDA.
