Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Land row in agency area to the fore

By Our Staff Reporter

ELURU MARCH 30. Land disputes between tribals and non-tribals have once again come to the fore in the agency area of West Godavari district as mango and cashew crops are getting ready for harvest.

The situation in Polavaram mandal, especially in Kunkala area, appears to be volatile, while the rest of the area in Buttayagudem and Jeelugumilli mandals wears a deceptive look. The police booked cases against 20 tribals at Totagondi in Polavaram mandal a couple of days back on the charge of trespassing into the cashew orchards of a non-tribal farmer and plundering the crop. However, to quote leaders of the Agency Girijana Sangham (AGS), the cases foisted against the tribals were fake. The AGS president, C. Chinnabbai, told The Hindu that the orchards in question were in the possession of the tribals for the last five years. The non-tribal farmer, P. Venkata Pulla Rao, got the case foisted against the tribals by claiming to have a title over the property when the latter were reaping the crop. The police played into the hands of the non-tribal farmer without going into the veracity of his claims relating to the title deed, Mr. Chinnabbai alleged.

A former zamindar, H. Sriramachandramurthy alias Rampandu, claims to be having over 3,600 acres of land with title deeds under the control of his family members in Polavaram and Goplapuram mandals.

However, the tribals, led by the AGS, took over 2,000 acres from the former's possession by questioning the veracity of his claim. But Mr. Rampandu obtained an injuction order from the RDO seeking to restrain the tribals from enjoying the lands.

Meetings convened twice by the police to bring about a solution did not yield much as AGS functionaries refused to take the former zamindar by his word. Mr. Chinnabbai said no solution could be arrived at till Mr. Rampandu produced `clinching evidence' to establish his claim.

The police, on their part, offered to repeal cases against the tribals and non-tribals if they volunteered to give up their agitation for land.

When some of the tribals in Jeelugumilli mandal laid down bows and arrows as a token of their resolve for non-participation in the struggle, the police revoked 80 cases against the tribals.

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