Set up Tribal Advisory Councils, demands CPM
VIJAYAWADA: CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao has alleged that the State and Central governments were hatching a conspiracy to plunder the minerals in the Agency area of Andhra Pradesh on the pretext of development and tourism.
Srinivasa Rao said a meeting was conducted by the ITDA in ASR district on Wednesday and the media was not allowed to attend and cover the meeting. He warned that the CPM would oppose any attempt being made by the government to allot the land in tribal areas to the corporate groups.
Speaking to the media at the Balotsav Bhavan on Thursday, the CPM state secretary reminded that Assembly Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu spoke against the law 1 of 70 recently. He recalled Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan during his visit to the Agency area stressed about the need for promotion of tourism there.
He said the State government during the past three months started the activities of allotting lands to the non tribals. He said the previous YSRCP government had not constituted Tribal Advisory Councils and the present NDA government is also doing the same. He demanded the government to immediately set up Tribal Advisory Councils with MLAs, MPs and the local people’s representatives in the tribal areas.
He said the tribal area lands should not be allotted to other people without the consent of Tribal Advisory Councils. He said tribal people would strongly oppose the allotment of lands to non-tribals in the Agency areas. He alleged that attempts were being made to loot the minerals in the tribals area.
He said seven mandals were totally submerged in Rampachodavaram Agency area due to Polavaram project and 5 pump storage power project was awarded to Adani Green company.
He expressed concern that the Agency areas in ASR district would be ruined with the power projects. He found fault with Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s statements on tourism development in tribal areas without mentioning about the unemployment and other problems being faced by the people living in Aagency areas.