The tribal people of five villages in Raavikamatam mandal, who were half-naked, staged a protest under the aegis of Girijana Sangham on Somalammakonda on Sunday in protest against the alleged support of local revenue officials to the mining companies.
There is both revenue and forest land and there are some ‘gap’ areas in between. The officials had reportedly given mining permissions to 20 granite companies on 80 acres in the ‘gap’ area.
Girijana Sangham district honorary president K. Govinda Rao said that the tribal villagers of Dolavanipalem, Ramannadorapalem, K. Gadavapalem, Kotnabilli and K. Kotnabilli have been cultivating cashew gardens on 198 acres of land on the hills for over three decades.
He alleged that the permissions were given without the conduct of the mandatory ‘gram sabhas’ by the mining and revenue officials, who had failed to give ‘pattas’ to the tribal farmers for the land on which they were cultivating cashew.
Mr. Govinda Rao alleged that the local revenue officials and mining owners sent back the survey officials, who were deputed by the State government, for the issue of ROFR (Recognition of Forest Rights) pattas. He alleged that the local officials were saying that there was no need of a survey as the lands on the hill were in the ‘gap’ area.
The Girijana Sangham leaders demanded conduct of a survey for the lands being cultivated by the tribal people on the hills and issuance of ROFR pattas. They said that a ‘vanta varpu’ protest would be staged at the Mandal Revenue Office at Raavikamatam on Monday to protest against the alleged indifference of the officials towards their demand.
