Ex CBI Director Writes to Parties

HYDERABAD: Former CBI director M. Nageshwar Rao wrote to the state chiefs of the BRS, BJP and Congress on behalf of non-tribals residing in scheduled areas on transfer of land.

Rao said that while Section 3 of the AP Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation, 1959 (as amended by Act 1 of 1970) was applicable for Scheduled Areas, a blanket ban has been imposed on transfer of land even by or among the non-scheduled tribes in these areas, which is beyond what is envisaged in the Constitution.

The situation was such that the Telangana government and others had stayed the implementation of Gruhalakshmi scheme in Scheduled Areas which also benefitted the non-ST communities living there, after the High Court issued a showcause notice in a writ petition.

This has been causing avoidable rift and social strife between the members of the ST and non-ST communities who have been living together harmoniously in Scheduled Areas. The current situation does not augur well for the maintenance of peace and law and order.

“Hence, it is imperative for all political parties to be non-partisan and considerate of the legitimate concerns of the non-STs living in Scheduled Areas,” he wrote.