Kothagudem: Be ready to fight with forest officials, MLA Rega Kantha Rao calls upon party workers

Kothagudem: Government whip and Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao chided the forest officers for troubling Tribals with regard to podu lands and causing hindrance to the development works in Agency villages.

In a post on his Facebook page, he called upon the party workers and the Tribals in the district to get ready for a direct war with the forest department officials, alleging their high-handedness towards the Tribal people.

Speaking over phone with The Hans India from Hyderabad on Tuesday, MLA Kantha Rao complained that the forest officials have evicted thousands of Tribals from their lands and digging trenches in the lands. In addition to that, the forest officials have put up flags in podu lands, which were cultivated by Tribals in Gundala, Allapalli, Karakagudem, Burgampahad and other mandals. He noted that for the past seven months, he has been speaking to the forest authorities trying to resolve the issue of podu lands, but in vain.

On a few occasions, District Collector MV Reddy also expressed anger at the non-cooperation by forest department officials. He deputed six surveyors to survey and demarcate forest and podu lands, but the forest officials were not ready to allow the survey. As Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has assured to address podu lands' issue and to give pattas to podu farmers, the officials were asked to wait and not to trouble podu farmers till the CM takes a decision. But they were not listening, the MLA alleged. At Garimellapadu village, the forest department took 100 acres from Tribals promising them to set up a nursery to ensure livelihood, which never materialised. But the Tribals were left without land and livelihood.

Informing that he would soon call on the Chief Minister to take the issue to his notice, MLA Kantha Rao said the matter was already explained to MLC K Kavitha.