KHAMMAM: There appears to be no end in sight to the conflict between podu land cultivators and forest department officials in erstwhile Khammam district. Cases against both parties are piling up at police stations, as clashes break out frequently in the district. Tribals have been cultivating 2.24 lakh acres of land in Bhadradri-Kothagudem and 24.727 acres of land in Khammam since 2006. The Maoist and other Left parties have been demanding that the State government issue pattas to tribals, so that they can continue cultivating their land without disputes.
Speaking to Express, Kursa Bhadraiah, a tribal from Paidigudem village, said, “We have been cultivating podu lands here for the last two decades. Recently, forest officials forcefully removed our crop from the land, and filed a case against me.” In some areas, forest officials have drawn flak for beating up tribals, claiming that they have no right over the lands. Madavi Nehru, a tribal leader, said, “Sometimes, the forest officials are very brutal. There are no words to describe their actions towards tribals.” Nehru urged the government to identify rightful tribals and issue pattas to them.
According to Khammam District Forest Officer B Praveena, the 24, 727 acres of forest land in the district is cultivated by not only tribals, but also non-tribals and Gottikoyas. Of this, about 2,000 hectares have been retrieved by the forest department over five years.
In Kothagudem, out of the total forest cover of 10,50,000 lakh acres, about 2.24 lakh acres are being used 30,000 tribals, non-tribals and Gottikoyas. Adivasi Girijana Samkshema Parishad founder-president Sonde Veeraiah said, “At least 10,000 Gottikoya migrants from Chhattishgarh have taken over our forest cover. They have cut the trees for cultivation.”
He demanded that the State government conduct survey on podu lands and document the number of non-tribals cultivating these lands. He further asked the government to file cases against non-tribals, who occupy forest lands.