HYDERABAD: The Telangana state government, facing the ire of the state forest department officials and their families following the brutal murder of forest range officer Ch. Srinivasa Rao in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district on Monday, has been sitting on a warning issued four years ago by the forest department that unchecked encroachments of forest land in the absence of a clear policy directive from the government on how to deal with the issue, will result in conflict between the encroachers and the department officials.
The forest department warned that the government “would be put to face the violent public reaction/assault if any attempt is made to arrest the encroachment”. The department also informed the state government in July 2018 that for three years prior to 2018, MLAs, MPs, and ministers, including minister for environment, forests, science, and technology A. Indrakaran Reddy, had stated that anyone who encroached on forest land prior to Telangana state formation would not be evicted. The “legal obligation of forest officials is not only to stop encroachments of forest land, but also to evict encroachers" and prosecute such individuals in court under forest and wildlife protection laws, the department informed the government. This, and much more, was contained in a four-page letter written to the former special chief secretary of the government, Environment, Forests, Science & Technology Department by former PCCF (HoFF) P.K Jha on July 18, 2018.
According to the letter, Indrakaran Reddy instructed forest officials during a video conference on June 22, 2018 not to "harass the villagers who have encroached forest land prior to 2014." According to the RoFR Act, only tribals, and those among them who possessed forest land patches prior to December 13, 2005, are eligible for any rights under the podu lands claim.
In a damning indictment of the TRS government’s approach to the podu land pattas issue, the letter went on to point out that "on account of public statements by the Minister of Forests that the forest department will not evict any encroachment taken place up to June 2014," other elected representatives created the impression that "Telangana will regularise encroachments up to June 2014." In his letter, Jha stated that reclaiming encroached forest land was a continuous process and a legal duty assigned to the department.
The government was also asked to "issue a firm statement" that any claims by public representatives promising pattas for podu lands and encouraging forest encroachment would be "dealt with an iron hand." The government was told that "unless a firm stand is taken and a clear statement is issued... it is feared that large scale encroachments of forests will occur, as happened in 2008-09." The letter referred to this one-year period when with expectation of a new state government that was to come in, will give away more forest land in addition to what was approved as per the RoFR Act in 2006.
