Retired IAS Officer and former Commissioner of Tribal Welfare E.A.S. Sarma has written to Anakapalli District Collector P. Ravi Subhash suggesting that he (the Collector) depute a senior officer of the rank of Joint Collector to meet the tribal families of Uralova village, on the border of Ravikamatham and V. Madugula mandals, to look into their allegations against a mining lease holder.
Referring to a letter submitted by K. Govinda Rao of AP Girijana Sangham, regarding 19 Adivasi families in occupation of land in the village, which the mining lease holder was disputing, Mr. Sarma said that apparently these tribal families were cultivating the lands for generations. It was possible that the private company was given the mining lease, without ascertaining the ground realities. There is also rampant corruption in the grant of mining leases across the State.
He suggested that Collector should treat the issue as important as the matter concerns the livelihood of tribal people.
