ADILABAD: Finally, 105 families from Maisampet and 37 from Rampur tribal habitations in the Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) on Wednesday relocated to their new homes built by the government in Dharmajipeta in Kadam mandal of Nirmal district. Though they have strong bonds with their habitations in the tiger reserve having lived for decades, they are happy to move to the new village as they have got better facilities like electricity, roads, borewells and pucca houses.
According to officials, the Kawal Tiger Reserve came into being in 2012 and several programmes were organised in 2016 to convince the inhabitants of Rampur and Maisampeta to shift out since they fell in the core area of the tiger reserve and chances of their development were grim.
The villagers soon agreed to the government proposal and construction of the new village began. Shifting to new homes on the day of Ram Navami added to the joy of the tribal families.
While the Union government bore 60 percent of the total project cost of Rs 21.03 crore, the state government picked up the bill for the remaining 40 percent.
Pendur Jagga Rao of Rampur village, who shifted into his new house in Dharmajipeta, said that he had no words to express his happiness. “I would not have been able to build this kind of house all my life,” he said.
Apart from basic amenities, the village has a bus stand and a primary health centre (PHC). However, the icing on the cake is allotment of 2.5 acres of agriculture land to each family by the government as compensation for relocating out of the tiger reserve.
“I have two children one of whom is studying in Class 5 at the Ashram school at Tekuguda and another is going to anganwadi school. What the government has given me is enough to provide for the future of my family,” said Jagga Rao.
Another resident, Gaddam Venkatesh Suvarna, is also happy about the facilities provided in the new village and allotment of agriculture land.
District collector Ashish Sangwan and district forest officer K Ramakishan monitored the relocation of tribal families and they instructed the departments concerned to send their teams regularly to Dharmajipet for three months to solve any problems.
The Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society worked for the relocation of the tribals for the past five years.