Telangana HC Orders Conversion of Chenchu Tribal Hamlets into Revenue Villages

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the state government and collectors of the new districts —Nagarkurnool, Mahbubnagar, Jogulamba Gadwal, Narayanpet and Wanaparthy — to immediately commence the process of converting their Chenchu tribal hamlets as revenue villages within four months.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar issued the orders while dealing a PIL, filed in 2005, by Shakti Voluntary Organization seeking the uplift of tribes.

While the case was in court, Parliament enacted the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, which came into force on December 13, 2007, and rules became operational in January 2008. The Act recognises the rights of forest dwellers to use, protect and manage forest resources and confers rights to land, which includes cultivation and residence.

On Tuesday, when the case came for final hearing, senior counsel K.S. Murthy, representing the petitioner, said that state government had recently issued Podu pattas but had failed to implement the 2006 Act which allows conversion of all forest villages, old habitations, unsurveyed villages into revenue villages.

The Chief Justice questioned the government why it had not implemented the rules so far.