Telangana Govt usurping tribal lands: Uttam

​Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy accused the TRS government of taking away lands belonging to Tribals.

Addressing a public meeting at Singareni Grounds in Yellandu on Monday night, Uttam Kumar Reddy recalled the TRS has promised to give three acres of cultivable land to Tribals. Instead of providing land to the Tribals, TRS government has been harassing the Tribals by filing cases on those who are continuing their cultivation activities on forest lands in the name of Harithaharam and regularisation of lands. He alleged that over 50,000 ST families were affected due to this move. He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi gave an assurance that the party would support the Tribals' in getting their rights over their lands.

 Uttam slammed MLA Koram Kanaiah, who was elected on Congress ticket defected to TRS. "Kanakaiah was elected due to the hard work and sacrifices of Congress workers. By joining the TRS, he insulted the mandate given by people of Yellandu. He has no shame and Chief Minister, who encouraged defections is shameless too," he said adding that people of Yellandu would teach both, Kanakaiah and KCR a fitting lesson in next elections.

 The TPCC Chief also slammed the TRS government for its failure to make BJP government set up a steel plant at Bayyaram which was promised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He said KCR remained focused on encouraging defections and did nothing to get the sops for the State which were promised in the APRA. 

He said TRS acted as an ally of BJP government at the Centre in the last four years. But now, with few months left for the elections, it took a U-turn and enacting dramas in the Parliament. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the TRS also failed to get railway line for Yellandu which could have opened new economic opportunities and jobs for the locals. Further, he said the KCR government has cheated the Singareni workers on the issue of Dependent Jobs. 

While TRS government issues an order for Dependent Jobs, the same is stopped through a petition filed by Telangana Jagruthi leader. He promised the Congress after coming to power in next elections will resolve the Dependent Jobs issues and regularise over 20,000 contract workers. He also assured that the grievances of dismissed employees will be addressed on humanitarian grounds. 

Uttam said almost all the promises made to the tribals by TRS remained unfulfilled. He said before coming to the power, the TRS promised three-acre land, employment, establishment of Tribal University and conversion of Tandas into Gram Panchayats. But none of these promises have been fulfilled.

He said TRS’s promise of giving 12 per cent reservations for STs is still a mirage. With a population of 9.8 per cent in the State, Tribals are entitled to 10 per cent quota. He said the reservation quota for STs could be enhanced with a simple government order. 

However, KCR dragged the issue and denied the tribals their additional share in jobs, education and other opportunities.