Telangana High Court directs state to rehabilitate all 67 tribal oustees
HYDERABAD: Making it clear that the State government has got the responsibility to rehabilitate the tribal oustees who were evicted from the reserve forest area in Adilabad district, a division bench of Telangana High Court on Sunday directed the State government to provide rehabilitation to all the 67 Adivasis/tribal oustees who were evicted from the reserve forest area five days ago.
Finding fault with the authorities for keeping these tribals in a forest timber depot, the bench directed the officials to shift them to an existing hostel building in Wankidi area and to provide them with necessary facilities till the completion of rehabilitation.
Pursuant to earlier direction of the court, the government authorities on Sunday evening produced heads of 16 families of Adivasis — belonging to Gond tribes — before the bench comprising ACJ Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akther dealing with the habeas corpus petition filed by the Civil Liberties Committee, represented by its State president Prof Gaddam Laxman, seeking directions to the concerned authorities to take action against the erring forest and police officials for allegedly detaining 67 tribals.
The bench questioned the forest department how they could evict Adivasis and keep them in a timber depot without having proper rehabilitation mechanism to displaced persons.