All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) president Vemulapalli Venkataramaiah accused the ruling TRS of trying to evict tribals from the “podu lands” in their possession for decades, in the name of Haritha Haram, thereby snatching away the sole source of livelihood of podu cultivators.
Several podu cultivators attempted suicide in Yellandu and various other Agency mandals in the district unable to bear the coercive tactics unleashed by those at the helm in the recent past, he alleged and warned of an intensive agitation at the national level if the State government failed to uphold the rights of tribal people over forest lands as per provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
He was speaking at a demonstration organised by the AIKMS in Kothagudem on Friday, demanding effective implementation of the RoFR Act, withdrawal of cases allegedly filed by the Forest Department against podu cultivators and sanction of investment support to podu cultivators under Rythu Bandhu scheme.
Led by CPI (ML-New Democracy) State assistant secretary Potu Ranga Rao, scores of podu cultivators from across the district marched through the main streets of the town in pursuit of their demands. Addressing the demonstrators, Mr. Venkataramaiah alleged that the lacklustre implementation of the RoFR was defeating the purpose for which the legislation was enacted. Hundreds of tribal farmers are still awaiting grant of pattas for podu lands being cultivated by them, he said, adding many who had received pattas got rights over meagre lands less than what they are actually entitled to.
Mr. Ranga Rao alleged pattas were issued for only 1.78 lakh acres as against individual claims made for a total of four lakh acres under RoFR in the undivided Khammam district. Bhadradri-Kothagudem has a poor record in implementation of the RoFR, he alleged, saying that only 26,021 persons were issued pattas for 90,929 acres so far.
He reiterated that the CPI (ML-ND) along with the AIKMS will spearhead a sustained movement to safeguard the legitimate rights of podu cultivators.
