Podu lands received courtesy Forest Rights Act, says Seethakka

Hyderabad: Targeting the MLAs who avail benefits of the Rythu Bandhu scheme, Panchayati Raj Minister Dhanasari Anasuya (Seethakka) on Tuesday said her parents got Podu lands not because of KCR’s mercy but as per the Forest Rights Act brought by the former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

The Minister was reacting to the comment of BRS legislator Anil Jadhav, who, during the discussion on demands, said even Podu lands acquired by the parents of Seethakka were given by former CM KCR.

The Minister said, “My mother and father are eligible for Podu lands as per the 2006 Forest Rights Act. The Tribals are entitled to 10 acres of land.

This is not because of the mercy of KCR, but as per their rights. Even today, my father goes to the forest. The BRS government took the decision on Podu lands just before elections,” said Seethakka, stating that there are some MLAs who are taking Rythu Bandhu benefits even today.

She said Anil Jadhav was in Congress in the past and moved to the BRS. ‘SCs and STs got their due because of the Congress party. Anil could become an MLA because of Indira Gandhi. The Congress government did not scrap the local reservations. The 10 per cent reservation is in court because the BRS government is not arguing properly.

The Podu lands were given by Sonia and PM Manmohan Singh, she said. She also targeted the BRS for failing to provide a 12 per cent reservation for minorities.

Replying to Jadhav, she clarified that the government had allocated Rs 2,000 crore in the budget for the Dalit Bandhu. ‘The member cannot say nothing is allocated’, she asserted.

Earlier, Jadhav charged that the Congress had come to power with deceiving promises. He said the budget allocation showed there was no scope for implementing the promises made to people. He said KCR had kept his promise to Tribals by providing ‘pattas’ to 6.7 lakh acres of Podu lands.