KHAMMAM: Tribal women beat up three forest beat officers on Monday when they went to Chintaguppa village in Dummagudem mandal in Bhadradrikothgudem district to clear Podu land. The three Forest Department officials who were beaten up included two tribals -- Sode Rajesh and Banothu Vijaya.
The other staffer was SK Hussain. Senior department officials from the district accused Pinapaka TRS MLA and Government Whip, Rega Kantha Rao of holding a meeting with the tribals and instigating them to act against Forest Department officials for retrieving forest land under Podu cultivation. Earlier too the MLA courted controversy by publicly appealing to all tribals to drive away Forest Department officials if they obstructed Podu cultivation.
The trouble broke out when the beat officers tried to retrieve forest land of about 27 hectares, over which the tribals had taken up Podu cultivation. Later, one of the officials called up a senior forest officer who rescued them from the tribals.