Khammam: GCC income hit after State bifurcation
Tribal women collecting gum (File Photo)
Khammam: The income of Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC) was badly hit due to the merger of seven mandals of Telangana into Andhra Pradesh after State Bifurcation.
During the State Bifurcation, the Union government had merged Chintur, Kunavaram, VR Puram, Bhadrachalam (except town), Veleurpad, Kukunur and Burgampahad (except headquarters) of Telangana into Andhra Pradesh. In fact, huge quantities of gum (gold cake) is available in these seven mandals and their merger had made the corporation to lose crores of income through forest produce.
Tribal people living in these mandals and surrounding mandals used to earn money by collecting forest produce and selling them in GCC stores in these mandals and Bhadrachalam town. There is a huge demand for forest produce in national and international markets.
GCC will collect forest produce like gum karaya, honey, tamarind, gatchakayalu, mohwar flowers, dry amla pulp, wild brooms, cleaning nuts, bees wax, marking nuts, soap nuts, naramamidi bark and the like from tribals through their stores set up at certain location. Most tribal people including hilltop Reddy communities used to sell their collections from the forest in the shops near their villages once in a week and purchase essential commodities from the stores.
According to the officials, 1,312 quintals of gum worth Rs 1.39 crore was collected in 2009-2010 and in 2014, the gum collection was 597 quintals worth Rs 85 lakh. In 2009 and 2010, 14 quintals of honey worth Rs 1.30 crore was collected and in 2014, there was no collection.
Before the State Bifurcation, tribals were very happy as a four-member family used to earn
Rs 15,000 per month but after that, no one is getting any income and switched to other fields with less income.
Girijan Cooperative Corporation Divisional Manager Kunja Vani said after the State Bifurcation collection of forest produces has been reduced and hence, income source stopped. The main income source was from forest area but most of the forest area was merged in Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation. She also said that the GCC is looking for other businesses for income.