Adivasi Petitions Rejected at AP Revenue Meets

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh Adivasi Sangham accused officials of not accepting many petitions submitted by tribal communities at the held at villages in various mandals of Anakapalli district on Friday.

Moreover, sangham’s honorary adviser Ajay Kumar charged that officials had not even issued receipts for petitions that they accepted. In this regard, he said he has written letters to Anakapalli district collector Vijaya Krishnan, revenue commissioner and principal secretary (Revenue).

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the Adivasi sangham adviser questioned the very purpose of holding revenue meets in villages when petitions are not being accepted or receipts denied.

In the letter, Ajay Kumar specifically stated that in the revenue sadassus held on Friday in villages of Kamakutam and Jalampalli mandals, officials told Adivasi petitioners that “as per the district collector’s orders, they will accept only those petitions that can be resolved."

The sangham’s adviser referred to AP government's revenue department memo (Rev02-38024/1/2024-Coordination I SEC-CCLA, dated December 3, 2024), clearly outlining that officials must receive and acknowledge the petitions submitted by petitioners immediately. However, Ajay Kumar alleged that despite these explicit instructions, Madugula mandal revenue officials refused to accept petitions submitted by tribal people in Kamakutam and Jalampalli.

The adviser underlined that when he personally intervened and pointed out the rules to officials, they accepted the petitions and returned their Xerox copies with undated initials and without the official seal.

Ajay Kumar called upon tahsildars of Chidikada, Madugula, Ravikamatham, Rolugunta, Golugonda and Natavaram mandals, which have significant tribal populations, to prioritise accepting petitions from the Adivasi and issue proper receipts for them on the spot.