AP Government Resolves Over Half-Century Old Forest Land Dispute
90 families in Srikalahasti environs to receive pattas
TIRUPATI: AP government has resolved a 55-year-old land dispute involving villagers of Simhachalam Kandrigai in Srikalahasti mandal of Tirupati district following its decision to issue assignment pattas to 90 families within three months.
District collector Dr. S. Venkateshwar, along with local MLA B. Sudheer Reddy, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) P. Vivek and Srikalahasti RDO Bhanu Prakash Reddy, held discussions with villagers at the Inaganur revenue village on Thursday evening.
The dispute goes back to 1970 when pattas had initially been issued in reserve forest land, only to be cancelled in 1978. Later in 1998, 98 families had been allotted 130 acres to which the Forest department raised objections in 2008. In 2014, the High Court recognised the area as a reserve forest, resulting in continuous conflicts between villagers and forest authorities.
To bring an end to the uncertainty, officials have announced two measures. First, the disputed forest lands will be formally recognised as reserve forest. A Vana Samrakshana Samithi will be established for the area. Under the Forest Increment Scheme, plantations will be raised, ensuring an annual income between ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 for each family in the coming years.
Second, alternative land will be identified nearby and assignment pattas will be granted to 90 landless scheduled caste families within three months. “Most of these families have no land of their own. With this decision, we are ensuring justice for the poor while protecting forest resources,” collector Venkateswar underlined.
MLA Sudheer Reddy expressed satisfaction that a permanent solution has been found to a dispute that remained unresolved for five decades. He dismissed allegations in a section of the press that forest lands are being illegally grabbed by certain political leaders. The TDP MLA underlined that the decision has been taken transparently in consultations with officials and villagers.
Forest and revenue officials, local leaders, and a large number of villagers participated in the meeting.
Officials disclosed that a similar issue pending in Gollapalli will be taken up shortly.
