A group of tribespeople under the aegis of the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha (AGM) is preparing to launch a series of agitations demanding a slew of demands, including a special rehabilitation project for the landless tribespeople in the district.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, AGM coordinator M. Geethanandan said more than 800 tribal families of 14 tribal settlements had lost their houses in the recent deluge.
As all the settlements were situated on the banks of the tributaries of the Kabani river, the families should be rehabilitated. But the authorities were yet to adopt any measures to rehabilitate them, Mr. Geethanandan said.
The former UDF government had agreed to provide one acre of land each to 295 landless tribal families who had been part of the Muthanga agitation after a ‘Nilpu Samaram’ (standing protest) by the organisation in front of the Secretariat on December 17, 2014. The government had given possession certificates for one acre each to 100 families so far, Mr. Geethanandan said. But they were not given any package for constructing houses on the land, he said .
Hence the government should consider a rehabilitation package for the landless tribal families in the district, he said.
Mr. Geethanandan also demanded speedy measures to implement Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, (PESA) in the State.
Token stir
The organisation would stage a token fast in front of the Collectorate here on November 24. If the government failed to meet the demands, the organisation would intensify agitations, he said.