Hyderabad: The forest department in Telangana has been going overboard with Haritha Haaram in Khammam this month — razing maize cultivated by tribals across hundreds of acres at several villages. The crop - which is being replaced by saplings — had almost reached harvest.
Farming by tribals on forest lands is not illegal according to the Forest Rights Act. Tribals who do not own land are entitled to apply for ownership of the land under the act.
In Oddugudem, Mitapally, Manikyalam and Polaram villages in the district, forest officials razed crops over an area of around 950 acres.
Raddam Srinu, from Komararam, said, “Cops warned us against holding protests or committing suicide over this issue. In Polaram village, when the sarpanch protested the action, she was arrested.”
While some lands where crops have been destroyed were illegally occupied, much of the land cultivated by tribals has been under their legal ownership through FRA. Since Telangana’s formation, not a single application for land ownership has been processed.
Officials of tribal welfare department say there have been “verbal orders” from CM not to do so.
