Thousands of Adivasi women storm Utnoor

UTNOOR (ADILABAD): The situation in Utnoor town was tense on Monday when thousands of Adivasi women and men gate-crashed and entered the ITDA building while police tried to prevent them from entering.

The women of the Adivasi Mahila Sangham, affiliated to Thudumdebba, staged a dharna in front of the ITDA building alleging that revenue officials are issuing agency certificates against GO. 24 to the Lambadas and selecting Lambada candidates who had those certificates as teachers.

The Adivasi women also demanded better medical facilities at PHC level and stated that many Adivasi women are suffering from anemia that has sometimes resulted in death.

The Adivasi women demanded that the officials immediately issue pattas to the lands they have been cultivating.

A huge police force was deployed along the main road that led to the ITDA, Utnoor.

Police and intelligence personnel were shocked to see the very large number of Adivasi women and men that had come for the protest from various parts of the old Adilabad district.

A visibly disturbed intelligence officer was seen collecting information from a woman Adivasi sarpanch about how they could manage to come in such huge numbers.           

The women requested the police officials on duty to allow them into the ITDA building so that they could put forth their demands to the deputy collector but the police did not allow it since the deputy collector had already come out and taken a memorandum from the agitating Adivasis.

The women argued with the police that they are not being allowed into ITDA which was constructed for them and was working for them and they just wanted to enter the premises without causing any damage.