The potency of land laws meant for agency areas is as good as the willingness of concerned officials in their implementation which, in the case of Adilabad and neighbouring districts does not seem to be an encouraging phenomenon.
There is always some official in the Revenue set up who delays or plainly refuses to implement even judgements of competent authorities in favour of the tribals under the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Area Land Transfer Regulation 1959 and its amendment Act 1 of 1970, ending up discrediting the Government.
Take the case of Soyam Namdev, a Gond Adivasi of Ponala village in Bela mandal of Adilabad district in whose favour the Special Deputy Collector (Tribal Welfare) for Land Transfer Regulaton cases passed an order on October 31, 2016 for restoration of 15 acres of his and two sisters’ land under encroachment in survey Nos. 6/7A, 6/7B, 6/7C, 6/15A, 15/B and 15/C. The order, directed at Tahsildar Bela mandal, is yet to be implemented.
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“I am making the rounds of the Tahsildar office for the last 11 months but every time I am sent away empty handed,” lamented a distraught Namdev. The land which he has inherited from his grandfather is currently encroached upon by a non tribal and two tribals who, according to the proceedings of the competent authority have no case at all.
When The Hindu apprised Mancherial Collector R.V. Karnan who is also the Project Officer of Utnoor Integrated Tribal Development Agency, the apex body which looks after all tribal affairs, he assured to look into it expeditiously. This has given hope to the family of the poor Gond tribal who have been struggling to get possession of their lands since last so many years.
Namdev’s case also reveals the ignorance of Adivasis in these districts about the laws which are meant to protect their interests especially their rights on their lands.
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A good number of years elapse by the time the Adivasis get to know the statutes and file cases for restoration of their lands from the non tribals.
The cases of Soyam Sreeram and Kinaka Baliram of Ramkham village in the same mandal is an example of the ignorance about relevant laws. Though Sreeram’s 15 acres in survey no. 35 and an equal extent of Baliram in survey no. 39 are under encroachment since long, the former has filed a case recently while the latter is yet to file a case.
The two Gond farmers have documents in support of their claims. However, no authority at mandal level has come to their rescue despite repeated approaches.
The total number of cases of land encroachment under the LTR Acts detected so far in Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts is 8,400 involving an extent of 54,939 acres of land. Of the 7907 cases disposed involving 53,121 acres of land 4,352 were decided in favour of complainant Adivasis involving 28,503 acres and 3,552 cases were decided in favour of non tribals involving 24,528 acres.
Only in 3,395 cases won by tribals an extent of 23,948 acres of land was restored to them. The government has failed to restore 4,645 acres of land in 957 cases.