ADILABAD: Amid the ongoing podu lands survey, podu land cultivators and those who have stopped cultivation of such lands a few years ago have become active and are claiming their right on such lands.
This created differences between people as those in adjacent villages too staked their claim on the same podu lands amid realization the state government would issue pattas to these lands sooner or later.
The land disputes between different groups and between villages are coming to the fore while the survey progressed. The forest and revenue staff are conducting the field-level survey for physical verification of the podu lands being cultivated by the tribals and non-tribals, who have applied for the pattas in December last.
The people of two villages clashed over podu lands and sprinkled mirchi powder against each other and fought with sticks on October 29. Tribals and SCs who claimed the rights on podu lands were involved in the clashes.
Rival groups lodged complaints against each other at the police station in Mancherial district. Police said the incident took place between the villagers of Chamanapalli of Vemanpalli mandal and Konapet villagers of Nennal mandal.
Both the villages have started claiming rights on the podu lands being cultivated in survey number 67. The land is located between two villages.
As many as 300 people from two villages gathered on the lands of their village shivaram and clashed over the podu land that was not under cultivation now.
It all started after a team of forest and revenue officials inspected the podu land and asked the villagers Chamanapalli to set up boundaries to the podu lands.
Then, the villagers of Konaraopet raised objections against the setting up of boundaries, saying they have been cultivating the land and both groups have clashed with sticks, injuring about 20 persons.
Later, the people of the two villages lodged complaints with the Neemvai police against each other.
Arun Kumar of Mancherial said, “The people who stopped cultivation of the podu lands four or five years ago due to pressure from the forest department and were filing cases are demanding pattas to such lands when forest and revenue staff visit their villages.”
