Stop tribal 'expulsion' from forests: CPM

Hyderabad: The CPM on Sunday demanded the State government to stop 'expulsion' of tribals from forests.

In a statement, CPM State secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram alleged that authorities were expelling the Chenchipeta tribals from the forest areas of Achampeta, Balmur, Padara, Mannoor, Kollapur and Lingala areas under the guise of the extraction of uranium.

Veerabadram said the tribals were not only shocked at the decision of the government, but also not in a position to live outside their forest areas. He alleged that authorities were forcefully taking signatures of tribals on consent letters and conspiring to expel them from the forest areas.

The CPM leader pointed out that He said authorities had put off their decision to extract the uranium in 2019 following the agitation programmes of tribals.

He said the government had passed a unanimous resolution in the State Assembly on September 19,2019 demanding the Centre to stop the process of uranium extraction. He alleged that authorities were again making plans to extract uranium following pressure from industrialists.

Veerabadram stated that extraction of uranium from forest areas would impact in and around 2,500 square km area of forest comprising Nagarjunsagar and Srisailam forest tiger reserves.