Adivasis to continue fight for podu pattas in Telangana

 ADILABAD: The confrontation between the forest staff and podu cultivators is continuing, though the government launched the distribution of pattas to podu land on June 30. This has left the Adivasis disenchanted with the government.

Adivasi leader Marasakola Sarangarao of Mamidiguda in Adilabad Rural mandal said many Adivasis had applied for certificates for 4-10 acres but had got pattas for a few guntas of land. Because of this, the beneficiaries were getting only Rs 1,400-Rs 2,000 as Rythu Bandhu aid.

In other instances, the names of many cultivators were missing in the list but they had started cultivation on ‘their’ lands with the arrival of the monsoon. On the outskirts of Jilledikunta village in Adavisarangapur gram panchayat, a few tribals sowed cotton seeds a few days back but were stopped by officials.

The forest staff was trying to stop such cultivation has the land has not been recognised for podu cultivation during the survey and is considered reserve forest, or where they believe cultivation started after the cut off date of December 13, 2005.

The podu cultivators claimed that they have been cultivating the land for 20 years but they did not get the pattas even after applying under ROFR Act (The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act).

Elsewhere, Adivasis of the Sarasala, Koyaposhaguda and Kolamgondi gudas confronted the forest staff who stopped them from cultivating land by saying that it was forest land that was enriched in the last three years.

Thudum Debba district president Godam Ganesh said that genuine podu cultivators were not given pattas. Adivasis from Dodanda village in Indravelli did not get pattas while only five of 45 applicants from Chinchughat gram panchayat got them. Adivasis from Mallepatar in Mavala mandal also drew a blank.

Taking exception to this, many Adivasis of Dodanda on Monday thronged the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in Utnoor, demanding issue of pattas for the podu land they have been cultivating for a long time.

Adivasi leader Purka Bapurao said, “They pinned a lot of hopes on getting the pattas but their hopes were shattered by the state government. In some cases the pattas issued to the extent of land was far less than the lands they were cultivating.”

Ada Kasubai of Dodanda said they have been cultivating a three-acre parcel land on the outskirts of the village for a long time but did not get pattas. Pendore Santhosh of the same village said that he has been cultivating five acres of land and forest officials conducted a survey about their land after they applied for rights but did not issue patta.