Tribal people owing allegiance to AP Adivasi JAC and Girijan Sangham apart from those owing allegiance to the Left parties staged protests in different mandals in the Agency area of the district on Tuesday, demanding inclusion of non-scheduled tribal villages in the 5th Schedule.
At a protest held at Tummavanipalem village of Ouruwada panchyat of V. Madugula mandal, under the aegis of the AP Girijan Sangham 5th Schedule Sadhana Committee, I. Narasimha Murthy, Girijan Sangham Non-Scheduled Area district general secretary, and Agriculture Workers Union leader K. Bhavani said that the people of non-scheduled tribal villages of Anantagiri, Devarapalli, Cheedikada, V. Madugula, Ravikamatham, Rolugunta, Kotauratla, Nathavaram and Golugonda mandals have not been brought under the purview of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), resulting in their neglect, even 75 years after Independence. They demanded that the ITDA general body meeting to be held on December 29 include their villages in the 5th Schedule apart from excluding them from the proposal to include them under the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA).
They urged the people’s representatives and the officials to impress upon the government on the need to utilise the ITDA funds meant for development of tribals for the welfare of tribal people living in non-scheduled areas also.
Apparapu Somulu, Chinnari Lakshmi and Appalaraju were among those who participated in the protest.
At Ajaypuram village of Cheemalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal, they staged a protest holding placards on their demands. AP Girijan Sangham State vice-president Pangi Chandrayya and Vanthala Dasanthi were among those who participated.
A protest was organised under the auspices of CPI(M) Golugonda Mandal Committee at Buddadapadu village. Committee secretary P. Lakshmana Rao said that if the tribal villages in the non-scheduled areas have to be developed in the areas of education, health and employment, their inclusion in the 5th Schedule was a must.
CPI(M) division leader Sapireddy Narayana Murthy said that the plan to bring the non-scheduled villages under the purview of the VMRDA could turn out to be threat to the very existence of the tribal people.
Party leaders S. Ramakrishna, Rajababu and A. Raju were among those who attended.
A.P. Adivasi JAC district convener Rama Rao Dora demanded that the ITDA general body meeting be conducted for the inclusion of the non-scheduled areas in the 5th Schedule. He said that non-inclusion of these villages could result in permanent injustice to the tribal people living there.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Araku Parliamentary district president Lake Bhaskar demanded inclusion of non-scheduled tribal villages in the 5th Schedule. He warned that the people of non-scheduled villages would picket the ITDA office, if it fails to comply with the demand at its general body meeting on Wednesday.
BJYM State executive member Gopatrudu, district secretaries Shekar Babu and Satish Kumar Nayak and district vice-president Matyakonda Babu were among those who participated.
