On 4 November, Busani Balaraju, a youth belonging to the Konda Reddy tribe, was surprised to learn that the Gram Sabha, to be held the next day, was canceled on a proposal to declare 40 tribal settlements as scheduled areas.
Like Mr. Balaraju, thousands of tribal people had a reason to be angry with the authorities, who adjourned the gram sabha four times since August.
Meanwhile, Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Rampachodavaram Project Officer CV Praveen Athiya had issued a fresh notification on November 5 calling for holding of Gram Sabha on November 19.
In 2019, the government had proposed to declare 554 tribal settlements located in non-scheduled areas as scheduled areas in five districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari.
In East Godavari district alone, 56 habitations spread over 10 gram panchayats in Sankaravaram, Prathipadu and Rowthulapudi mandals are proposed to be given scheduled area status, bringing them under the purview of ITDA.
The 10 gram panchayats have a population of about 25,000 belonging to four tribes – Konda Reddy (PVTG), Konda Kammara, Manne Dora and Konda Dora.
Since the late 1970s, there have been demands to declare the area a ‘Scheduled Area’. Unless the Gram Panchayats are declared so, the tribal people are not entitled to claim any benefit from ITDA.
“ITDA has directed us to organize gram sabhas for 40 habitations within four days of issuing the notice. We could not organize it on November 5 as no stakeholder could have prepared for it in such a short time,” said East Godavari District Panchayat Officer SV Nageshwar Naik.
As per letter dated 1st November (a copy of which is with Hindu), Shri Praveen Adhia had directed the DPOs and Revenue Officers to organize Gram Sabhas for 40 tribal settlements within four days (November 5).
It is alleged that due to non-cooperation between ITDA and district officials, there is excessive delay in the conduct of Gram Sabha. As a result, there is no clarity on the proposal till date.
It is being said that this proposal is to be discussed in a major state-level meeting to be convened by the Tribal Welfare Department in Vijayawada on November 9.
“Last week, a gram sabha was organized at Velangi Panchayat. It was to be leased to the hill, Nagulkonda, for laterite mining. For decades no one cared for us, but when it came to leasing the hill, the officials did their duty,” said Mr. Balaraju.
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