Hyderabad:Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Friday informed the Assembly that the distribution of Pattas to the tribal farmers who are in cultivation of Podu lands in the state will be issued in the last week of this month.
Intervening, when the Minister for Tribal Welfare Satyavathi Rathod was replying to questions raised by the members during the question hour on distribution of pattas, KCR said Pattas for Podu lands to the extent of about 11 lakh acres will be issued to the tribal farmers after taking necessary declaration from the beneficiaries.
The declaration will be signed by the beneficiary, Sarpanch, all party members of village Committee and among others.
Hereafter, the government would not allow anyone to occupy forest land once after issuing the pattas to the tribal farmers, Rao said.
He said that keeping in view of Global warming, the government has taken up several initiatives including “Telanganaku Haritha Haram” to increase greenery in the state.
As per reports, he said, the greenery of the state has been increased to 7.2 per cent.
KCR said Telangana’s total forest area was 66 lakh acres. Of them 10-11.5 lakh acres were occupied by the tribals. It is our responsibility to protect the forests.
Elaborating on the recent attack on forest officer Srinivaslu by some tribals, the Chief Minister said that the government would not allow such acts. The tribals have no right to occupy forest lands.
Earlier, Tribal Minister Satyavathi Rathod said that the villagers of Koyapocha Guda, Makulpet Gram Panchayat, Dandepalli Mandal reportedly attempted fresh encroachment in the Kawal Tiger Reserve.
In order to avoid fresh encroachments, the Forest Department has booked cases against 12 persons under the Forest and Wildlife Act.
The counseling, to amicably resolve the situation is jointly taken up by Forest, Revenue, Police, Panchat Raj, Women and Child Welfare and Tribal Welfare Departments, she added.
