HYDERABAD: The overwhelming response in some districts for regularizing illegal occupation of forest land in Telangana - following an announcement by the state government calling for it with a promise to provide pattas for podu agriculture – is not merely because tribals and non-tribals are seeking Podu rights over forest land.
Deccan Chronicle can confirm that part of the surge in applications for podu rights - way beyond expectations in some districts – is a result of some district administrations, in some cases even district collectors, making promises that will be impossible to fulfil under the guise of issuing ‘podu pattas’ to people.
Instances of some district officials telling people that they can build homes in the so-called podu lands, for which they will receive user rights, have come to light. In other cases, some district collectors have been seen, and heard, telling people that since the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 allows up to 10 acres of land to be given for user rights, those who have less than that should make use of the current opportunity offered by the state government to increase their land holdings.
District officials have been telling such previous beneficiaries of the ROFR Act to apply for additional land that can take their podu rights up to the maximum limit of land allowed under the Act.
Many of the non-tribal applicants in the current rush to ‘legalize’ their illegal occupation of forest land, already own land outside of forest areas, it was reliably learnt in addition to being beneficiaries of Rythu Bandhu scheme. But this has not stopped revenue officials from encouraging such non-tribal land owners to go ahead and apply for ‘podu’ rights on forest land.
Even worse, Deccan Chronicle has learnt, about the promises being made by revenue officials that despite the Wildlife Conservation Act expressly prohibiting giving of such rights in protected areas – wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and tiger reserves – they can exercise their rights under the Forest Conservation Act that gives district collectors the right to issue permissions for use of forest land up to an extent of one hectare without any oversight.
