TRS government has cheated tribals: Adivasi Manch

Musheerabad: National chairman of the Adivasi Adhikari Rashtriya Manch, M Babu Rao on Friday accused the TRS government of ‘cheating’ girijans by failing to honour its promise of providing forest land pattas to them after coming to power. No action has been taken even 50 days after K Chandrasekhar Rao assumed the Chief Minister’s office, he said. Addressing the gathering at a programme organised by the Telangana Girijan Sangham in Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Rao and other speakers demanded the TRS government to stop attacks, threats and resort to filing false cases against girijans ‘as part of conspiracy to snatch their lands by deploying police and intelligence department personnel’. They wanted the State to implement the 2006 Forest Land Rights Act.

The speakers pointed out that girijans were cultivating forest lands spread over five lakh acres in six Telangana districts. Following this the Centre had incorporated the Forest Land Rights Act. They charged the TRS government with failing to implement the Act and not distributing even one acre to girijans, so far.They demanded that the government take steps to enable girijans to earn their means of livelihood, as they had a right to sell 29 forest produce, and reconstitution of the FRCs to pave way for securing and selling the produce.

The Adivasi Manch wanted the government to initiate action so as not to cause any loss to the girijans cultivating the forest lands and ensure their development through Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs).Among those present were former MLA Julakanti Ranga Reddy, Girijana Sangham president Ravi Naik, general secretary Mudavath Dharma Naik.