Minister Jagadish conducts all party meet on Podu issue

Nalgonda: Minister for Energy Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy said that conservation of forests is everyone's responsibility.

He said that as per the ecological balance more than 33 per cent of the lands should be covered with forests, whereas, in the Erstwhile Nalgonda district only 9 per cent of the lands belong to the forest department and added that it was also a forest land without trees.

He made it clear that the survival of mankind would be difficult unless dense forests were developed in such lands.

He attended as the chief guest to all-party meeting held at the Nalgonda District Collector's Office on Sunday evening to resolve Podu land issues in the district.

Nalgonda Lok Sabha members N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Rajya Sabha member Badugula Lingaiah Yadav along with legislators Gadhari Kishore Kumar, N Ravindra Kumar, N Bhagat, N Bhaskar Rao, Durgaprasad of the Telugu Desam Party, CPM district secretary Mudireddy Sudhakar Reddy, Bakka Pitchaya from TRS party, DCC president Shankar Nayak and others took part in the meeting.

Speaking on this occasion, Minister Jagadish Reddy said that the government was determined to grant rights in accordance with the law passed in December 2005 to resolve the issue of Podu lands. He called upon the opposition to come together beyond politics to identify and give rights to those who are cultivating Podu lands and to plant saplings in the remaining forest lands.

He said that village level meetings would be held from November 8 to identify the rightful owners of the land. He also said that village committees would be set up as part of it and village committees would be set up with 1/3 tribals and 1/3 women. He added the Podu Land issue would be resolved as per the law passed in 2005.

Former TPCC president, Nalgonda MP Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the party is welcoming the decision of the government to address the issue of Podu lands. Protection of forests must be taken place beyond politics, he added.

TDP leader Durga Prasad stated that Telugu Desam Party fully supports the protection of Podu lands. This issue was included in Telugu Desam when Chandrababu Naidu was CM of United Andhra Pradesh. Telugu Desam Party welcomes Podu Land issue taken up by Chief Minister KCR in humanitarian grounds. Party will extend support to government in solving the problem of Podu lands, he added.

CPM district secretary Mudireddy Sudhakar Reddy stated that addressing Podu lands must be done in a transparent manner. Party appreciates the government move and will extend cooperation in all aspects. It is mandatory to save forest lands.

MIM representative Hasham stated that the party will extend all sorts of cooperation to CM KCR with regard to the Podu Lands issue and protection of forest lands in the district. Collector Prashanth Jeevan Patil, additional Collector Vanamala Chandra Shekar and other officials participated in the meeting.