The CPI (Maoist) has extended its support to Girijans on the issue of enjoying the benefits of coffee plantations being raised by the AP Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) in the Agency area, even as it continues to exploit their strong opposition to bauxite mining.
The APFDC is raising the coffee plantations in more than 4,000 hectares in the Visakha and East Godavari Agency areas by engaging the Girijans.
‘Araku Coffee’, a branded product, gained international recognition. Coffee cultivated in the Agency area is considered to be of good quality because of the use of organic manure and pesticides.
The Maoists are demanding that the Girijans be paid higher wages and given ownership over the plantations.
There were instances of the Maoists distributing coffee plantations to the Girijans of villages close to the plantations and destroying coffee godowns and pulp units. A few APFDC employees had also been killed by the Maoists after branding them police informers or accusing them of harassing the Girijans.
A few days ago, 947 acres of plantations in RV Nagar east and west areas were reportedly distributed to the Girijans. On Thursday, the Maoists of the Galikonda area committee pasted posters and threw pamphlets on the road at Teemulabanda in GK Veedhi mandal alleging that the APFDC and the police were harassing and exploiting the Girijans, and demanded that the APFDC leave the Agency by Friday leaving the coffee plantations to local Girijans. Filing police cases against Girijans would result in severe penalty, the APFDC was warned.
