ADILABAD: With two out of the three major political parties introducing fresh faces and the third opting for a veteran in the game, the competition in the Khanapur (ST) constituency appears to be wide open. While a large chunk of the constituents is engaged in agriculture, locals said the region was lagging in development.
In the 2018 elections, Ajmeera Rekha of the BRS (then TRS) defeated Ramesh Rathod of the Congress by a margin of 20,710 votes to win the seat. This time though, Ramesh is contesting on a BJP ticket against NRI candidate Bhukya Johnson Naik of the BRS and Vedma Bojju of the Congress. Analysts believe that there will be a triangular fight in the segment as it had traditionally been a Congress stronghold before turning it into the hands of BRS , courtesy of two consecutive victories of Ajmeera Rekha, while the BJP also holds significant influence, owing to the candidature of Ramesh, a veteran leader.
Divided among the three districts of Adilabad, Nirmal, and Mancherial, after the creation of smaller districts in 2016, the Khanapur Assembly constituency doesn’t have proper roads or bridges across the rivers, say residents. The problem is accentuated in the interior tribal areas. In August, a pregnant tribal woman had to be physically carried to cross the river. Before she could reach the hospital, she gave birth to a child on the roadside.
Wait for pattas
Podu land cultivation stands out as a major concern for tribal communities. While Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has distributed pattas to some individuals, numerous tribals still await land title deeds (pattas) for podu cultivation.Conversely, non-tribals in the constituency face a similar challenge, lacking the pattas that render them ineligible for various benefits, including Gruha Laxmi and crop loan waivers.
Sanjay Lahane, a non-tribal who lives in Indervelli, said the government is not bothering about the segment. As they do not have land rights certificates, they are not eligible for crop loan waiver and other benefits. “We have voter ID cards, Aadhaar cards, and yet no government help reaches us,” he said.
Overflow concern
For the last two years, Kadam reservoir has posed new problems to the people in the constituency. The dam receives heavy inflows during the rainy season, leading to water overflowing from the project gates. The floodwaters end up inundating the houses in the surrounding villages.
Another major contention of the residents is the Tribal University, which was initially designated for Utnoor with 200 acres of land identified, but relocated to the erstwhile Warangal district. This shift occurred due to a lack of coordination between district leaders and central government officials, claim residents.
R Rajanna, a farmer of Narsapur village in Kadam mandal, said that he had not faced any problem in selling paddy that he had raised in his two-acre land holding. However, the Rs 50,000 crop loan that he had raised has become Rs 1 lakh with an accumulation of interest and yet the loan has not been waived. “Bank officials are exerting pressure on me to repay the loan,” he said.They also want a special District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment notification for the unemployed tribals to help them obtain jobs as teachers.
