“Most representation is given to tribals from agency areas. Plains tribes, including the 5 lakh-strong Yanadi community, remain unrepresented,” Rao said.
Nellore: Leaders from plains-based Scheduled Tribes have demanded fair political representation and inclusion in policy-making, citing decades of systemic neglect.
At a conference at Ambedkar Bhavan in Ongole on Sunday, tribal leaders, including former DGP J. Poornachandra Rao, highlighted the exclusion of communities such as Yanadis, Erukalas, Sugalis, Chenchus, and Kammaras from legislative seats, despite comprising 5.86% of the state's population.
“Most representation is given to tribals from agency areas. Plains tribes, including the 5 lakh-strong Yanadi community, remain unrepresented,” Rao said. Of the 115 ST MLAs since Independence, very few have belonged to plains tribes.
He called for three to four Assembly seats to be reserved for plains tribals during the upcoming delimitation exercise. He also flagged poor infrastructure in tribal hostels and schools in non-agency regions and criticised the lack of dedicated development bodies like ITDAs.
BSP state coordinator B. Paranjyoti noted that while ST Sub-Plan funds are announced annually, allocations are often diverted. “Without political representation, welfare and employment schemes for these communities remain neglected,” he said.
Leaders urged the government to act immediately, warning that a mass movement would be launched to secure justice and equitable development for plains tribals.
