HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Central as well as Telangana government to file counter affidavits on the issue of Gothikoya community persons who, having migrated from Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, are settled in Telangana without being categorized as Scheduled Tribes.
The bench of Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice SV Bhatt was dealing with a suo-motu PIL dealing with the living conditions of the “Gothikoyas” in places like Bhupalapalli, Mancherial, Adilabad, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem and other districts of the State.
The bench was told that the Gothikoyas tribals were denied of their right to cultivation and living in the forested areas. Though they were categorized as STs in Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, this was not the case in Telangana.
After hearing the case, the bench issued notices to the secretary to Ministry of Tribal Welfare, Telangana state chief secretary, principal secretaries to Tribal Welfare, forest departments and all concerned district collectors to respond to the issue before adjourning the case hearing by four weeks.