ADILABAD: The district administrations of Nirmal and Adilabad organised all party meetings to discuss the issues pertaining to cultivation of podu lands.Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy participated in the meetings and took suggestions from the opposition leaders.
In Adilabad district, the Opposition Congress leaders alleged that disputes over forest and revenue lands were not being solved. For example, in Kajarla village, land that Dalit families had got land under a scheme in 2000 was recovered by forest officials in 2018, claiming it to be forest land, they said.
ZPTC member from Congress G Ganesh Reddy said just as Dalit Bandhu was being implemented, tribals too should be allotted lands without any restrictions. Even now, most farmers who have pattas for their lands are not getting benefits, he said.
Indakaran Reddy said all party leaders must cooperate to resolve the issue. He directed the officials to prepare a comprehensive report on the number of acres to be provided to those who were cultivating podu lands.
CM K Chandrasekhar Rao had instructed officials that claims for pattas would be accepted from tribals between November 8 and December 8. In erstwhile Adilabad district, 57,830 applications for pattas have been received, of which 3,712 pattas have been issued.