KHAMMAM: Government whip and Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao on Tuesday courted controversy by making an appeal to all tribals to drive away Forest Department officials if they obstructed Podu cultivation.
The ruling party legislator said Forest Department officials had "become a problem for tribals". In a post on his Facebook page, he called upon party workers and tribals in the district to get ready for a showdown with forest officials and resist their high-handedness in preventing Podu cultivation.
Later speaking to mediapersons over phone from Hyderabad, he recalled how the forest officials had evicted tribals from their lands and dug trenches to prevent them from occupying the lands again. "Forest Department officials posted marker flags, declaring that the land belonged to the Forest Department in Gundala, Allapalli, Karakagudem, Burgampahad and other mandals," he said.
The MLA said that on some occasions, District Collector MV Reddy had also expressed dissatisfaction over non-cooperation by forest officials. In order to survey and demarcate forest land and Podu lands, the Collector had deputed six surveyors but the forest officials would not give them permission.
The Legislator said that as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had assured to address the Podu lands issue and give pattas to the tribals, he had asked officials not to trouble them. "At Garimellapadu village, the Forest Department took 100 acres of land from tribals, promising to set up a nursery to help them eke out a livelihood. Later, they forgot all about the promise which has led to tribals without land and livelihood," said Kantha Rao.