Tribes to Protest in Anakapalli for Kavvagunta Land Rights

 Visakhapatnam: Tribal community of Anakapalli district will protest at the collector's office on November 25 seeking rights over lands in the Kavvagunta revenue area of Ravikamatam mandal.

In a joint statement, CPM district executive member K. Govinda Rao, Adivasi Girijana Sangham district president Pangi Chandraya, Rythu Sangham leader Robba Nagaraju and Girijana Mahila leader Robba Varahalamma expressed their concern over removal of cashew plantations cultivated by tribal people from the Record of Rights (ROR) when the Jagananna Resurvey took place in the Kavvagunta area of Ravikamatam mandal.

The government had granted titles to Adivasi people over these lands in 1986. Following this, 29 families started cultivating cashews on 31 acres of the land. However, during the YSRC government's term, revenue officials allotted 16 acres of this land to private real estate businessmen, whose names did not figure even in the revenue records, the tribal leaders stated.

They allege local revenue officials issued titles over this land to non-tribal people following orders of the then MLAs.

Following protests by the Adivasi people, Anakapalli district collector organised a special social audit on the matter. Staff of the collector’s office surveyed the area for a week and submitted a report to the DRDA officials.

However, the families, who had been cultivating cashew, have not been restored their land rights despite waiting for the past 10 months.

Tribal leaders claimed that the MRO and VRO of Ravikamatam have sent three reports to the district collector requesting restoration of the land titles to the tribal families. Despite this, no action has been taken till date.

As a result, they have decided to organise the protest before the collector’s office on November 25.

Tribal leaders went on to accuse officials of colluding with real estate businessmen who are occupying tribal lands.