Tribal farmers from four hamlets under Raja Lingala gram panchayat in Enkoor mandal knocked the doors of the district administration seeking intervention of the higher authorities to ensure protection of rights enshrined in the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act.
The aggrieved tribal farmers belonging to Mulapocharam, Rangapuram, Nemalipuri, Rampuram Tanda represented their grievances to the higher officials here on Monday. They submitted a memorandum to the higher-ups alleging that they were being prevented from cultivating the lands in their respective hamlets despite possessing RoFR pattas.
Displaying the copies of the pattas in support of their claim, the tribal farmers alleged that the local Forest Department disallowed them from carrying out agricultural operations in the lands for which they were given “RoFR pattas” by the then government in 2008.
They further charged the forest staff with creating hurdles to their agricultural operations by digging trenches around their lands citing the afforestation programme.
They sought the intervention of the district authorities to safeguard their livelihood and legitimate rights as envisaged by the RoFR Act.
Responding to their plea, the higher officials reportedly asked the Forest officials concerned to immediately look into the matter and verify the facts.
