ADILABAD/KHAMMAM: Even as the much-awaited distribution of podu pattas will be formally launched on Friday across the State, the 17-year-old problem will remain unresolved, as the State government is facing resistance from the Centre over the likely violation of RoFR Act.
Thus, the State government, according to sources, may confine itself to distributing podu pattas only to the tribal farmers who occupied the forest land before the Centre’s cut-off date of December 13, 2005. The farmers who occupied forest lands after the cut-off date are unlikely to get pattas immediately.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will launch the distribution of podu pattas formally at a function in Asifabad on Friday.
Simultaneously, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and Finance Minister T Harish Rao will launch the programme in Palvoncha town.
According to sources, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) wrote a letter to the State government not to violate the RoFR Act. Thus, the State government is likely to adhere to the directions of the Centre.
After receiving the letter from CEC, Principal Conservator of Forests RM Dobriyal, in a circular on June 22, directed all the district forest officials: “All the field officers are requested to take necessary action to enure that the title deeds/certificates under RoFR Act, 2006 are issued only to the qualifying applicants as per the rules and procedures prescribed under the RoFR Act-2006 and ensure that there is no violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, in the matter. They are requested to closely coordinate with the Tribal Welfare Department in the district and ensure proper implementation of the Act.”
No pattas without forest clearance
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dobriyal, in a circular, said no forest land under encroachment, which is not qualified to be allotted under Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is regularised without obtaining forest clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
According to sources, the State government will distribute pattas only to those farmers who occupied forest lands before the cut-off date. Though the government identified that around 3.95 lakh farmers occupied 11.5 lakh acres of land, it may not distribute pattas to all of them now. Only those who occupied the lands before 2005 will get the pattas. The farmers who occupied the forest land after 2005 have to wait till the Centre amends the Forest Rights) Act and increase the cut-off date to resolve the podu land issue.
In Bhadradri Kothagudem district, pattas for 1.60 lakh acres will be distributed to 50,590 farmers. In Khammam, 6,000 farmers will get pattas for 13,000 acres. In the erstwhile Adilabad district, around 43,000 tribal farmers are identified for podu pattas for 1,00,000 acres.
Forest department sources said only six to 10 percent of them will get pattas immediately, as they occupied the forest lands before 2005. Officials, said the State government appointed a committee that identified 83,000 tribal farmers, who occupied 3.1 lakh acres of forest land. Later, the committee decided to give pattas to around 43,000 farmers, who occupied one lakh acres of land. Accordingly, 12,000 farmers in Adilabad, 15,000 in Kumuarambheem Asifabad district, 7,000 in Nirmal will get pattas.