VIZIANAGARAM: At least 100 tribal families living in Krupavalasa, Siyonuvalasa, Deevenavalasa, Ramannavalasa and Chinna Akkivalasa under Gopalarayudupeta Gram Panchayat in Bobbili mandal have been denied government benefits as the revenue department does not recognise their hamlets.
These tribals have had no access to basic amenities, such as roads, healthcare, drinking water, electricity, Anganwadis and primary schools for the past 15 years. Children below five years of age are forced to walk two to seven kilometres to go to the nearest Anganwadi centre or primary school in the nearby villages.
Fervent pleas, urging the officials to intervene, have fallen on deaf ears. The fact that the mandal headquarters in Bobbili is just seven kilometres from these hamlets has not proved beneficial for the tribals.
At least 100 tribal families belonging to Jathapu and Kondadora communities, both particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG), migrated to the forest lands near Gopalarayudupeta from the disputed Kotia region along the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) in search of livelihood in 2007.They are involved in a traditional podu cultivation.
Though they have been protesting for Right Of First Refusal (ROFR) pattas under the Forest Rights Act for the past 15 years, officials have failed to take action. After a series of protests, the revenue officials included their names in Gopalarayudupeta gram panchayat and provided Aadhar and ration cards to a few families. However, their villages were not added to the revenue records.
Though they have Aadhar cards, local politicians have denied them voter cards, afraid they might lose reservation in local body elections. Each time there is a medical emergency, residents of these five villages are forced to carry the patient on a doli to reach the nearest motorable road.
“We have been approaching revenue, forest, tribal welfare offices for years now. Deputy Chief Minister (Tribal Welfare) Peedika Rajanna Dora and Bobbili MLA Sambangi Chinna Appalanaidu held a meeting in these villages and assured us that they would come up with a solution to our problems. However, they have failed to even provide us with electricity,” rued Tummi Appalaraju Dora, Adivasi Sankeshama Parishad secretary. After years of official apathy, the tribals took matters into their own hands.They built roads under shramdaan and dug a borewell in each hamlet with the help of social workers. Some of them use solar panels, given by social workers, to light a single bulb in their huts.
Tandandi Behunu of Devenavalasa said, “We have been living here for the past 15 years. Yet, the officials have failed to include our villages in the revenue records. The forest officials have also failed to sanction ROFR pattas. Electricity is available just seven kilometres from our villages, but we have been forced to live in the dark.” He added the lack of Anganwadi centres in the villages has led to children facing health issues due to malnutrition. “Previously, an ANM used to visit our village regularly. However, she, too, stopped coming, forcing us to shift patients in a doli during medical emergencies,” Behunu lamented.
“Although the Central and State governments claim to be spending crores of rupees on tribal development, a number of hamlets have no access to facilities as basic as roads, electricity, water and healthcare,” he remarked.