NCST directs Telangana government to return land to tribals

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has directed the Telangana government to return lands to tribal families which were acquired around 20 years back.

The then Andhra Pradesh government had acquired around 2,400 acres of fertile land from scheduled tribes, scheduled caste, other backward communities from villages in now Telangana which were acquired in order to be given to Ambuja Cements.

According to the NCST, the Ambuja Cements acquired land in 1999 for construction of a cement factory within two years and providing employment to locals.

Twenty years on, no factory has come up in that place.

“The Commission has directed the Telangana government to return the land acquired from the tribal families in 1999. At that time, the government had given compensation for the land acquired. However, despite the passing of several years, no factory has come up. So the land acquired should be given back to the tribals, the Commission feels,” said SK Ratho, joint secretary, NCST.

“This is an example of how land is acquired by governments for industries which do not materialise on many occasions. But the tribals are displaced and lose their lands. Several such issues are reported from across the country,” said Ratho.

The Commission had received around 10 representations on this issue.

According to the petitioners, on losing the lands, the villagers became both landless and unemployed. While in 2012, there was an assurance between the villagers belonging to SC/ST/OBC villagers and the factory management to allow peasants to cultivate on the leased land provide jobs to the locals, this was not followed through.

Also, because of the acquisition of land for the construction of the factory, the land has become unproductive and unfertile. The associations have demanded before the Commission that the land lease is cancelled and the lands are restored with the families who became landless.