KHAMMAM: Though officials have offered other lands to Gothi Koyas, these tribals have not shown any willingness to vacate around 15,000 to 18,000 acres of forest land they have been occupying in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district since 2006.
As many as 12,000 Gothi Koyas have settled down in 120 habitations in the district. Thousands of them have shifted to different places in the district from the neighbouring Chhattisgarh unable to bear the harassment and attacks by Salwa Judum activists in that State.
Bhadradri-Kothagudem District Forest Officer L Ranjit Naik said: “We have tried to stop them from settling here, but they had set up huts in the nights deep in the forest. They are now refusing to move to plains despite creating awareness among them.”
Out of 10,24,000 acres of forest cover in the district, about 2,24,000 acres is under illegal occupation of Gothi Koyas and other tribals. Since 2009, the government has issued pattas to tribals for 80,000 acres under the Forest Rights Act. Currently, only 7,20,000 lakh acres is with the Forest department.
After the brutal murder of Chandrugonda Forest Range Officer (FRO) Ch Srinivasa Rao by two men belonging to Gothi Koyas, the Forest department has taken up the process of issuing eviction notices to tribals who are cultivating podu lands and living in forest areas.
Ranjit Naik said that the department had issued notices to Gothi Koya tribals to produce the ownership documents of the lands they are cultivating. If they fail to do so, further action would be initiated, Naik said. However, these tribals appear to be determined to not budge an inch.