Adivasi Take Out Doli Yatra On Eve Of World Indigenous Peoples’ Day
There are no roads to these hilltop villages, along with Losingi and Kotha Losingi under Arla panchayat of Rolugunta mandal in Anakapalli district, and Jajulu Banda in Moolapet panchayat of Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
VISAKHAPATNAM: On the eve of World Indigenous Peoples’ Day, tribal people of four Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) villages – Jajulu Banda, Pitri Gadda, Neellu Banda and Pedagaruvu – took out a Doli Yatra on Friday, demanding access to drinking water, roads, Anganwadi centres, schools and health services.
There are no roads to these hilltop villages, along with Losingi and Kotha Losingi under Arla panchayat of Rolugunta mandal in Anakapalli district, and Jajulu Banda in Moolapet panchayat of Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
In the past, residents pooled ₹3,000 per household and built a road from Arla to Pitri Gadda via Jajulu Banda, costing ₹6.6 lakh. The road got washed away by rain. The government later sanctioned ₹1 crore in 2023–24, but the construction got stalled. CPM leader K. Govinda Rao alleges that ₹29 lakh have been misappropriated.
Under the Palle Panduga scheme, ₹4.1 crore had been allocated for a blacktop road. Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan inaugurated the work in early 2024. But this road collapsed during rains. Subsequently, the contractor abandoned work due to unpaid bills.
Lack of roads has had tragic consequences. A woman died after childbirth due to delayed medical access. In Jajulu Banda, 15 children under five travel 20 km for Anganwadi supplies. Although a shed had been built for the school and a teacher appointed in 2023, the school has no teacher now. Villagers still lack access to clean drinking water.
Participating in the Doli Yatra on the eve of World Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Govinda Rao underlined that survival of tribal people must take precedence over the ceremonial celebrations on Saturday.
Others who participated in the protest included Kameswara Rao of the PVTG Association, Korra Raju from Pitri Gadda, and Konda Tambali Venkata Rao, Korra Kondababu, and Killo Mahesh Pedagaruvu.
Caption: Villagers from Jajulu Banda, Pitri Gadda, Neellu Banda and Pedagaruvu participating in a 5-kilometre Doli Yatra demanding access to drinking water, roads, Anganwadi centres, schools and health services on Friday.
