Left leaders, tribals stage protest seeking podu land pattas in Bhadrachalam

Bhadrachalam: The representatives of Left parties in the district met Integrated Tribal Development Agency Project Officer VP Goutham during the Grievance Day programme in Bhadrachalam and requested him to solve the podu lands issue.

The Left leaders were accompanied by a large number of tribal farmers from various villages under ITDA limits. Before meeting the PO, they staged a dharna in front of ITDA office and raised slogans against the government for dilly-dallying on the issue of podu lands.

After the dharna, they met the PO and informed him that they were unable to get benefits under schemes like Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima due to lack of proper pattas to the podu lands. They urged the officials concerned to award them land pattas as early as possible.

The Project Officer interacted with the Left leaders and the farmers and assured them of solving their issues.

Meanwhile, addressing the media after meeting the PO, New Democracy leader and former MLA Gummadi Narasaiah alleged that the government has been putting the issues of tribal farmers on the backburner since 2014.

"The government must solve the podu lands issue immediately as many of the tillers are losing out on Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima scheme benefits due to lack of pattas," he said.

Recalling the promises made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao during election campaigning in last November, the former MLA said, "It has been six months since the TRS came back to power in the State. However, the Chief Minister and his government have failed to address the podu land issues that have pending for the last many years." He appealed to the government to give pattas to tribal farmers immediately.

CPM and New Democracy leaders M Venkateswara Rao, Ramaiah, Ravikumar, Chary and Kaunakakai and others took part in the protest.