Kawal reserve: Officials propose, villagers dispose of rehab plan

ADILABAD: The battle between the forest officials and the villagers dwelling in Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) seems to be a never-ending episode now. In a fresh development, the forest officials have once again held meetings with villagers to convince the villagers to vacate the area permanently and accept the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) packages announced by state government.

However, the villagers have been unwilling to vacate the place since the time the government has declared the area as a tiger reserve.

“Every time forest officials notice tiger movement in the core area, they hold meetings with villagers on R&R packages and after sometime they forget it. So, we are not so enthusiastic about such meets,”said Siddam Nagesh, a farmer from Alinagar said.

It was back in 2012 when the then UPA government at the Centre announced Jannaram forest area as a Kawal Tiger Reserve. Since then the forest officials have been holding awareness campaigns to convince the villagers to vacate the area. After discussions, tribals agreed to vacate their lands but the government delayed the process of R&R packages resulting in villagers to continue their stay.

Take the case of Alinagar, which is tucked away 6 km from the main road in an interior forest area. With no proper road  that leads to the hamlet, over 50 families depend on forest produces. The villagers were ready to vacate their hamlet provided they get good R&R packages.

“We are ready to vacate only if the government provides us a good place to live in. We want the government to provide us land at Jannaram mandal headquarters,” Kursenge Sangeetha, a villager pointed out.  

In fact, a five-member tribal group visited Navegam of Thadoba in Maharashtra  with  forest officials last year and inspected the house sites and land, which that government was providing as part of R&R package. After the tribals vacated the area, Maharashtra government provided them house sites, land and `25 lakh worth cash.

“We are ready to vacate our village if the Telangana government also provides us similar package,”  Borre Ellakka of  Dongapelli hamlet said.

The officials agreed for similar package last year but there hasn’t been any breakthrough so far, she pointed out.

According to officials,  they have surveyed 101 families of Rampur and Maisampet hamlets and have submitted the proposals which have been sanctioned.

“The Centre had announced `10 lakh package and the state government might announce its package after discussion with the chief secretary,” the official added.