Stop harassing podu cultivators: CPI

Khammam: CPI Telangana State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said that while people in the State facing hardships, the top brass of the ruling TRS has been on a spree of occupying government land in Miyapur.

Addressing press conference here on Saturday, he alleged that at least 800 acres of government land in Miyapur has gone into the hands of benamis of ruling party leaders. On the other hand, the government is denying the rights of tribal farmers, who have been practicing Podu for several decades.

“In the name of Haritha Haram, administration is coercing the tribals those cultivating podu besides damaging their crops,” Reddy said, accusing the government of lending a deaf ear to the problems of the Adivasis. He expressed concern over foisting of cases against podu cultivators.

He found fault with the government for not taking remedial measures to curb the spurious seed trade. In Madhira, Bonakal and other mandals, there are signs of failure of seed germination, he said, expressing concern over the fate of farmers.
Although the government received more than 11 lakh sada bynama applications, not even one lakh of them were regularised so far, Reddy said.

Senior leaders P Padma, Bagam Hemanth Rao, J Jithender Reddy and S Narsimha Rao were among others present.