Collector Dr Pola Bhaskara announced that government to give land to 505 tribals under ROFR Act

Markapuram: The Prakasam district collector Dr Pola Bhaskara announced that the district committee has approved to allot land to 505 tribals in Markapuram division under the Recognition of Forest Rights (ROFR) Act, 2006 in Dornala on Thursday.

Dr Bhaskara presided over the district level ROFR committee meeting held at the Velugonda Project Guest House in Dornala. Speaking at the meeting, the collector said that action was taken by the government to issue pattas to the tribals who are cultivating the forest lands, before 2005. He informed that 429 tribals have applied for land through the tribal welfare department in Markapuram division while 784 tribals have applied through the ITDA project. He said that the committee has conducted gramasabhas and rejected 297 applications with the tribal welfare department and 411 applications received at ITDA but approved 132 and 273 applications respectively.

The collector announced that the land for the eligible 505 tribals will be distributed along with pattas on the coming World Tribal Day, on August 9. He advised the officials to investigate on the rejected applications by July 7 and file the report before the ROFR committee meeting on July 8.

The joint collector J Venkata Murali, district tribal welfare officer Lalita Bai, Markapuram RDO M Seshireddy, Kandukur RDO Obulesh, ITDA project officer Raveendra Reddy, DFO Sateesh and other officials also participated in the meeting.