HYDERABAD: TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday promised to find a solution to the rift that is only becoming wider between tribals who do podu cultivation and the Forest Department officials who are raising plantations to restore forest cover lost to clearing of the lands either for cultivation or for construction of projects.
The chief minister made an assurance when Kothagudem TRS MLA Vanama Venkateswara Rao raised the issue during a meeting of the party leaders at Telangana Bhavan ahead of the municipal elections.
Ever since a forest range officer was beaten up in Kumbrambheem-Asifabad district recently by the brother of an MLA, acting ostensibly on behalf of the tribals who do podu cultivation, the conflict has only been spreading to other districts like wildfire.
Forest department officials say they were raising plantations on the forest land while the tribals insist that it was their land and forest department has no business to raise plantations. When Vanama Venaktswara Rao was also in the news for using abusive language at forest department staff while they were constructing a wall in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district to protect the forest land. During Wednesday’s meeting, the chief minister handed over cheques of `60 lakh each, to the district party leaders, for the construction of the new party office buildings in their respective districts.
He also directed the district leaders to complete the construction of the buildings by Dasara festival. It may be recalled that the party leaders laid foundation stones for the construction of party offices in 29 districts, after the State Cabinet allotted land for the TRS district offices. Rao cautioned the party leaders not to violate the regulation and rules while constructing the party offices. It may be recalled here that the State government is introducing a new Municipal Bill in the Assembly on Thursday which gives scope for stringent punishments and penalties for violation of building rules.
The TRS chief also enquired about the progress of the ongoing membership drive of the party. After getting the feedback, he expressed satisfaction over the response to the membership drive and directed them to constitute village level party committees after competition of the membership drive. Rao suggested that the village level committees should be in place by the end of July.
‘No chance for BJP to grow in Telangana’
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that there is no chance for the BJP to grow in the State. Though the BJP leaders were in exultation as the party won four Lok Sabha seats, the people of the State would not support BJP on local issues, Rao reportedly told the party leaders. He said that the TRS government has been implementing so many welfare and developmental works, it has become a role model for the rest of the country. People would understand this and rally behind the TRS, he reportedly said. Rao pointed that though there were insufficient rains in the State, there were no drought-like situation in the State due to the successful implementation of Mission Bhagiratha