SC panel tightens noose, slams shoddy state response
Hyderabad: The noose appears to be tightening around officials involved in, and responsible for, the distribution of fresh podu land pattas in 2023 by the BRS government with the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court calling for detailed applicant-wise data from the very inception of the exercise in 2008-09.
In a no-nonsense letter to the Chief Secretary, the CEC faulted a response it received from the state tribal welfare department did not “adequately address” the issues and facts on the matter. In a severe indictment of the apparent lackadaisical approach of the state government towards the Supreme Court-appointed body, the CEC, in its letter on October 10, also slammed the Telangana government for merely reproducing legal provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) instead of addressing its questions on very detailed information on podu patta distribution.
In its October 10 letter, the CEC asked the Chief Secretary to send it by October 15 all the data on all the cycles of podu patta distribution since 2008-09, with details of individual beneficiaries and the reasons for approving their applications along with the proofs required for taking such a decision.
It is reliably learnt that the state government was yet to send this information to the Central Empowered Committee.
The CEC has been pursuing the matter following a complaint it received from the Forum for Good Governance in 2023 alleging largescale wrongdoing in granting of podu pattas to ineligible claimants when the BRS government as in power.
The tribal welfare department’s letter, signed by the department secretary, was sent to the CEC on October 4 following a series of video conferences that CEC members had with state officials in the first week of this month. This 19-page letter repeated details of legal provisions on granting podu pattas, a fact that was not missed by the CEC, which said: “The letter merely reproduces various provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) Rules repeatedly, which are already well known to all concerned.”
The CEC pointed out that the tribal welfare department sought to “give an impression that the special drive in 2022-23 was confined only to two categories — rejected claims of the earlier round, reconsidered pursuant to the Supreme Court’s orders dated 13.02.2019 and 28.02.2019; and habitations/villages that were not covered during the earlier exercise in 2008—09 under G.O.Ms. No.102 dated 06.06.2008.
It said if the government’s claims were true and correct that only those habitations nor covered earlier were taken into consideration in the 2023 exercise, and that some claims that were rejected in the past were reconsidered, then the state must provide it will detailed information on each claim, with reasons along with evidence for either accepting such a claim, or why such claims were rejected earlier.
The CEC also said that the last exercise undertaken as per provisions of Government Memo No. 1161/TW.Ser.ll/2021 did not mention that the exercise was confined only to old rejected claims and uncovered habitations. “On the contrary, it identifies tackling the encroachment of forests as one of its objectives,” the CEC said.
It may be recalled that the then BRS government had called for podu patta applications in 2021 and in 2023, months before the Assembly elections that year, granted fresh pattas to a total of 3.58 lakh acres of forest land in addition to the existing 3.10 lakh acres of podu land for which pattas were given in earlier rounds. This was challenged by the FGG which said the pattas were granted illegally and sought action against the government decision.
The status
State claims podu pattas were given only twice — under GO Ms No. 102 dated 06.06.2008, and under Government Memo (GM) No. 1161/TW.Ser.Il/2021 dated 05.11.2021.
Forum for Good Governance (FGG) complained that a third round was done in 2011, as per GM No. 3551LTR-112008 dated 13.01.2011.
Chief Secretary must confirm or deny the conduct of the second round of exercise as alleged by FGG, Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court says.
What the CEC wants:
Information village/habitation-wise of podu pattas prior to 2023.
Similar information on villages/habitations covered in 2023.
Extremely detailed information of all claims re-admitted or finally rejected of the 82,075 unresolved claims from prior to 2023.
Problem for Telangana
In 2023, the government approved 1,33,301 claims covering 3,58,760 acres of forest land; the claims are more than those that were unresolved.
Forest department in 2023 approved only 67,192 claims for 1,44,388 acres.
Tribal welfare department sent a letter to CEC only listing out the rules, and repeated the same information again and again.
