HYDERABAD: Villagers from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve on Wednesday rejected allegations of forced eviction and said relocation from forest villages was voluntary and based on long-pending demands for better living conditions.
At a press meet, 45 residents from proposed relocation villages disputed a fact-finding report by the Human Rights Forum and Dalit Bahujan Front alleging coercion. The villagers termed the report “one-sided and incomplete” and said it ignored the views of families seeking relocation for over a decade.
According to them, all 417 families, including 96 Chenchu tribal households, have given informed consent and no one is being forced to relocate. They said any person found facing coercion would be removed from the beneficiary list.
Residents highlighted hardships inside the forest. Sarlapally sarpanch Chirra Errama Ramulu said increasing wildlife movement had made farming difficult, while the proposed rehabilitation site near Bacharam offered better connectivity and access to the district headquarters.
Joint Relocation Committee members said the process was community-driven. Committee head Saibaba said families unwilling to relocate were free to stay, but urged others not to stop willing families from moving. Sambu Santhosh Kumar of Sarlapally rejected allegations of caste-based pressure on Chenchus.
Village representatives opposed demands to halt the relocation process, saying it would go against the democratic choice of villagers.
