MEDAK: Tension escalated at Shivampet on Tuesday as tribal farmers sprinkled diesel on Shivampet Tahsildar Bhanu Prakash and on themselves on Tuesday, as a protest for not resolving the land issue of a 40-year-old farmer Maloth Balu, who was electrocuted on Monday evening, making his kin ineligible for benefits from the Rythu Bheema scheme.
The Tahsildar panicked when the farmers threatened to set fire to him and to themselves, blaming the Revenue Department for the plight of the deceased farmer’s family. The farmers placed Maloth Balu’s body at the Tahsildar office and raised slogans against the department. About 2,000 tribal farmers from six thandas have not been issued pattadar passbooks for their lands. Following the protest, the police reached the office and pacified the farmers, who withdrew after the Tahsildar assured them that a special meeting would be held on July 4 to resolve the issue.
They made it clear that if the meeting was not held as scheduled, all 2,000 tribals from the six thandas would come to the office. According to officials, the land over which the deceased farmer claimed ownership was disputed. A decision on the issue of pattadar passbooks for such lands has been put on hold till a survey is done. Tahsildar Bhanu Prakash said: “The Forest Department has raised a boundary issue with farmers regarding land in Survey Nos. 315 and 316 in Thallapally thanda and a report was sent to the District Collector.”
Dispute with Forest Dept
According to officials, the land over which the deceased farmer claimed ownership was in dispute with the Forest Department, which had raised a boundary issue with several pacels of land, staked its claim on it and conveyed the same to the Revenue Department