Strong opposition to GO No. 49 from local Adivasis, non-tribals, and elected representatives is expected to be brought to the notice of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
Adilabad: As part of a damage control exercise, the state government will constitute a committee to review Government Order (GO) No. 49, which declared the tiger corridor between Kawal Tiger Reserve and Tadoba Andhari Reserve as the Komaram Bheem Conservation Reserve in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. The committee will also initiate consultations with both Adivasi and non-tribal communities affected by the move.
Strong opposition to GO No. 49 from local Adivasis, non-tribals, and elected representatives is expected to be brought to the notice of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. Both communities have been protesting, demanding that the state government revoke the GO.
It has been learned that minister for rural development Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, Adilabad in-charge minister Jupelli Krishna Rao, Khanapur MLA Vedma Bojju, PCCF P. Suvarna, and others have discussed the issue and decided to form a committee to address the concerns.
Some conservationists have criticised the inclusion of what they call unnecessary details in the GO, such as the mention of 339 villages within the proposed reserve and related maps, arguing that this has created confusion and fear among local residents.
They also noted that forest officials' claims of having consulted gram panchayats before issuing the GO have sparked outrage among Adivasis and non-tribals, who allege that no such consultations took place and accuse the department of failing to conduct a proper assessment.
Raj Gond Seva Samiti state convener Sidam Arju stated that in-charge minister Jupally Krishna Rao assured them that GO No. 49 would not be published in the Telangana Gazette, effectively halting its implementation for now.
He added that the minister also promised to arrange a meeting between Adivasi leaders from Komaram Bheem and the Chief Minister for further consultation.
It appears the state government has taken the Adivasis' objections seriously, particularly in light of the upcoming local body elections.
