ADILABAD: BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on Sunday took part in Nagoba jatara, a tribal festival organised by the Meshram clan. The festival began on Saturday night and will continue till January 28. Union Minister Arjun Munda and Bandi Sanjay also offered prayers at the Nagoba temple on Sunday and later addressed a public meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, criticised Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for allegedly neglecting the tribals’ problems and development of the Nagoba temple in Indravelli mandal of Adilabad district over the last five years.
He said that the CM had time to attend the funeral of the VIII Nizam but not to visit and develop the tribal area. Kumar also criticised KCR for aligning with the Congress and Communist parties in the President of India elections, opposing the Adivasi women.
Munda also spoke at the meeting and highlighted the importance of properly implementing the Forest Rights Act and the allocation of funds for tribal development. He also alleged that the state government was not properly implementing the Forest Rights Act and that the funds for the development of Thandas and Gudems had not been released. He urged the state government to send a separate Adivasi reservations bill to the Central government.
Furthermore, Kumar stated that the CM did not allocate enough funds for the development of the Nagoba temple, and the surrounding tribal area. He also claimed that the state government had failed in providing pattas, or land deeds, to Adivasis, who have been cultivating forest lands for years, and instead, instructed the forest department to stop the cultivation during harvest, causing tension between the Adivasis and the forest officials. He also claimed that the state was diverting funds meant for the development of Thandas and Gudems.
BRS leaders offer prayers
BRS leaders offered prayers at the Nagoba temple to mark the Keslapur Nagoba jatara on Sunday. The leaders offered their prayers after the Meshram clan prayed as per their tradition and customs. On January 24, Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod and Endowment Minister A Indrakaran reddy will also participate in the festival.