1 year on, 15 evicted families yet to get land in Telangana
ADILABAD: Though it has been a year since the High Court ordered the Telangana government to provide cultivable land and accommodation to 15 tribal families, who were evacuated from the Reserve Forest Area in Kolam-Gondi village of Kumarambheem Asifabad district, sources say that the Adivasis have not received the land yet.
The 15 tribal families were evicted from Kolam-Gondi village in early 2019 by the Forest Department officials after the Supreme Court, on February 13, ordered the eviction of many forest dwellers on the basis of affidavits filed by the State government.
However, the Supreme Court later, on February 28, stayed its previous eviction orders. But by then the tribal families were evicted by Forest Department officials claiming that the tribal families were destroying reserve forest land by carrying out podu cultivation. After that, a few social activists took up the matter and approached the High Court claiming proper compensation for the Adivasis. After hearing the pleas, the High Court directed the State government to provide cultivable land and accommodation to the evicted families.
Though the State government managed to provide them accommodation at Saleguda Gram Panchayat under Asifabad mandal in the district, it has not been able to provide cultivable land to the distressed families despite giving them pattas.
Speaking to Express, Attram Muthu Lingu said as per the patta issued to him by the State government last year, he should get 2.20 acres of farmland, but had not received anything yet. “Another cultivation season (Vaanakalam) is around-the-corner and we haven’t received any communication from the authorities yet. We are earning livelihood by working as farm labourers on lands of local people,” Muthu Lingu said.
Meanwhile, when Express contacted Asifabad RDO Siddam Dattu on the issue, he said the authorities had identified 40 acres of cultivable land in the district for the 15 tribal families and added that it would be allotted to them by May 27.