Tribal farmers in AP struggling for rights over their traditionally cultivated lands
Visakhapatnam: In north Andhra's diverse landscape, farmers of several tribal villages, including Peddapet in Rolugunta mandal of Anakapalle district, are continuing to struggle for rights over lands that they have been traditionally cultivating.
These farmers had worked hard to convert the government wastelands near their villages into thriving orchards of cashew, teak and mango trees. However, they suffered a terrible shock when they realised that the D-form pattas of lands they had developed are in the name of people who are non-locals.
The tribal farmers, including Vampuri Rajababu of Peddapet, apart from Nukaraju, K. Demudu, L. Rajababu, K. Devi, M. Mahesh, R. Demudu, Rattela Chandra Rao, Kedari Buchayamma, Neelapu Nukalamma, Kotama Achayya and Kodama Kaad Naidu, contend that the lands, totalling to 28.57 acres, which they have developed over decades, rightfully belong to them.
The fact that the lands they are cultivating must be in their names dawned on them on April 10, 2010. Since then, they have been petitioning authorities, such as tahsildar, mandal surveyor, Anakapalle district collector, RDO Narsipatnam and ITDA Paderu.
They went on to raise the matter during the Jagananna survey conducted by the erstwhile YSRC government and the recent revenue sadassulu organised by the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA alliance government. Tribal farmers charge that bureaucratic apathy and inefficient management of records has led to their continued plight.
In an interview, Vampuri Rajababu told Deccan Chronicle, "In Peddapet village, tribal farmers like me have developed the wastelands over decades. But the D-form pattas that should rightfully be in our names have been allotted to individuals who have never been around here. Not just that, these outsiders have gone on to receive the freehold rights. Authorities concerned are not implementing the norms stipulated by the government itself in our village," Rajababu protested.
He went on to charge that errors have crept into Jagananna Resurvey documentation to the extent that names of tribal farmers who have cultivated the lands for decades including his – Rajababu – do not figure in the Adangal documentation.
Tribal women farmer Neelapu Nukalamma told DC, "We attempted to rectify these errors through participation in Revenue Sadassulu. Yet we have been unable to secure land titles for the lands that we cultivate."
The farmers have charged the village revenue officer (VRO) of not documenting in Adangal that they have been cultivating the lands.
When Deccan Chronicle contacted mandal revenue officer (MRO) Ch. Nagamamma, she confirmed the challenges that the tribal farmers are facing. She maintained that RDO Narsipatnam is fully aware of the situation.
Tribal farmers of Peddapet are demanding the annulment of D-form pattas issued to non-locals. Further, the tribal farmers must be recognised as the rightful cultivators by allotting them the pattas.
