GO on Podu cultivation issues is contrary to rules, unacceptable, says HC

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday prima facie opined that GO 140 of September 11, issued by the tribal welfare department, violated the provisions of Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and its rules framed in 2008.

It directed the state government not to go by the GO while deciding rights claimed by forest dwellers. Most of them belong to the ST category.

The GO is meant to oversee appropriate disposal of claims regarding Podu cultivation by a district coordination committee. Wondering how the state government could form its own committees by violating the law, some forest dwellers and some tribal groups filed petitions.

Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, who had sought the government’s stand on the petitions two days ago, was not satisfied with arguments put by government counsel on Friday.

The judge, on the request of special counsel A. Sanjeev Kumar representing the state, issued status quo orders.