Seethakka Tells Cultivators Not to Expand Their Podu Cultivation Area

 Adilabad: Rural Development Minister Seethakka on Sunday appealed to the podu cultivators not to expand their cultivation area by cutting the forest trees afresh and restrict themselves to their old podu lands.

She directed top forest officials to pay the pending bonus to the beedi leaf collectors in the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

The minister inaugurated the drinking water scheme under Mission Bhagiratha in Kagaznagar town to supply water to every household from Peddavagu.

There are a total of 30,000 labourers earning their livelihood through beedi leaves collection in the district every season, but the bonus for them was pending from 2022. The minister was responding to representations from CPM leaders led by its district secretary Kushana Rajanna.

Along with local MLA Palvai Harish Babu, the minister inaugurated various development works in the Sipur (T) assembly constituency in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

Seethakka inaugurated the Ayushman Health Centre constructed with a fund of Rs 1.5 crore under the National Rural Health Mission in Ramnagar colony in Village 12 in Kagaznagar mandal.

She also inaugurated the sub-centre constructed with Rs 20 lakh in Sriramnagar colony in Kagaznagar town.

Collector Venkatesh Dhotre, ZP chairman Koneru Krishna, joint collectors Deepak Tiwari and Venu and senior Congress leader Atram Suguna were present.

Seethakka inaugurated the additional classrooms constructed with Rs 2 crore of MGNREGS fund in KGBV in Lingapur. She also inaugurated the development works in Asifabad mandal.