Pattas of podu lands will be distributed to tribals from this month, says CM KCR

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday said that pattas for podu lands spread over 11.5 lakh acres would be distributed from this month end or March first week.

However, the pattas would be handed over to the beneficiaries only after Village Committees, ZPTCs, sarpanches and Tribal leaders give a written undertaking to the government that there would be no further encroachment of forest lands. This apart, the beneficiaries would be entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the forest lands, he said in the Assembly here on Friday.

The Chief Minister announced that landless tribals and those who do not have livelihood opportunities would be extended Girijan Bandhu on the lines of Dalit Bandhu.

After Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod gave her reply over podu lands during question hour, the Chief Minister intervened and said the government would not tolerate any further encroachments of forest lands.

"We will not tolerate any encroachments of forest lands. If tribals claim forest lands are their right and then there will be no forest lands left in the future," he said, adding that a few leaders were trying to create political issues and people from Chhattisgarh were being brought to create issues in forest lands here.

All the surveys pertaining to podu lands have been completed and the data was ready. Apart from pattas, Telangana government would extend Rythu Bandhu and power connections to the lands as well, he said.

"We are committed towards the welfare of tribals. This will be last instance of distributing pattas and this was not being done for votes" said Chandrashekar Rao.

Stating that in the past, Governments had issued certificates extensively without fixing any boundaries, he said a few farmers were occupying more area than allotted to them.

This apart, a few forward caste people were marrying tribal women so that they could own podu lands.

The Chief Minister also found fault with a few members in the House for raising objections over official action on the tribals.

A forest official was brutally attacked and killed by tribals. Should the government permit such attacks, he asked, pointing out that the State government had extended Rs.50 lakh assistance to the officer's family, besides a job.

At times, forest officials too overreact but tribals should not attack officers. Police and forest officials too have to act as per law and on humanitarian grounds, he said.

CM KCR proposed a resolution on including a few sections in Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly.

"The Commission of Inquiry for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the year 2016 recommended for inclusion of Valmiki Boya, Bedar, Kirataka, Nishadhi, Pedda Boyas, Talayari, Chunduvallu and Khaithi Lambada, Bharat Mathuras and Chamar Mathuras for their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list, which was accepted by Telangana Government and submitted the same to Central Government. But so far there was no response in this regard," said the Chief Minister.

Therefore, this House unanimously resolves to recommend to the Central Government to include these Communities in the Scheduled Tribes list, he said.

Further, 'Mali Community, which inhabitates in Adilabad, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad and Mancheriyal districts, have been representing for several years to include them in the Scheduled Tribes list. Considering their socioeconomic conditions, this House also resolves unanimously to include them in the Scheduled Tribes list, he added.