Adilabad DFO Says Kolams Building Houses in Reserve Forest Land

Adilabad:Adilabad district forest officer (DFO) Prashant Bajirao Patil has responded to a report titled “Kolam Woman’s Good Deed Lands in Trouble” published in Deccan Chronicle on January 12.

The DFO stated that the land in question is classified as reserve forest as per forest department records. He said Kolam Adivasi Atram Lethu Bai and her husband Atram Jangu of Dubbaguda village tried to clear forest land and began digging pits for house construction on December 15. According to him, forest officials immediately intervened and stopped the work, but despite repeated instructions, they did not comply. He further claimed that the contractor continued the construction activity despite warnings.

The DFO clarified that the site where the construction was reported falls well within a notified reserve forest area and that any construction within such limits without prior approval of the competent authority is prohibited under law. He denied allegations of beating or harassment of the contractor or beneficiaries and said due legal procedure was followed. He added that the forest department remains sensitive to the welfare of Kolam tribal families and that the issue is being jointly examined by the revenue and forest departments to arrive at a lawful and sustainable solution.

Our correspondent stands by the report:

According to documents available with Deccan Chronicle, the revenue department had issued a patta passbook for the three-acre land owned by Lethu Bai. The rejoinder did not mention that the Kolam families were constructing Indiramma houses sanctioned by the state government. It was also not stated that Lethu Bai had already submitted an affidavit donating one acre of land in Survey No. 18/2/10 for the construction of Indiramma houses for poor families, which was handed over to Sathnala tahsildar Ramarao Rathod.

The DFO’s rejoinder also did not refer to the dispute between the forest and revenue departments over the ownership of the land. Questions remain unanswered as to why the forest department offered alternative land to the Kolam families and why the issue is being jointly examined by both departments if the land solely belongs to the forest department. However, the original report had clearly carried the forest department’s claim that the land falls under reserve forest limits.

It may be recalled that Adilabad collector Rajarshi Shah had earlier appreciated Lethu Bai for donating one acre of land, describing her gesture as an example of great human values at a time when disputes over small parcels of land are common. The collector had felicitated Lethu Bai and her husband Jangu for the act.