‘Don’t evict tribals from forest hamlets in Penagadapa’

HYDERABAD: In a relief to tribals living in Penagadapa gram panchayat of Bhadradri Kothagudem district, the Telangana High Court has directed the forest authorities concerned not to dispossess them who included Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers from their hamlets in the forest ranges of Penagadapa gram panchayat in Chunchupally mandal of the district. 

Justice Challa Kodanda Ram was admitting the petition filed recently by several tribals from the gram panchayat seeking direction to the authorities concerned not to infringe their forest rights as provided under the Schedule tribes and other traditional forest dwellers Act, 2006 more specifically not to infringe their right to hold and live in the forest land under occupation for habitation or for self-cultivation for livelihood.

Petitioners’ counsel S Raj Kumar told the court that the petitioners belong to Koya tribe which was a traditional forest dwelling community and were living in the village forests hamlets falling under the Penagadapa gram panchayat since long and were eking out their livelihood by doing podu cultivation, manual works in the nearby villages and to sell their forest produce. However, the officials have been threatening them with dispossession from their hamlets though they were protected under the Act, he added.

He contended that no member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe or other traditional forest dweller should be evicted or removed from the forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure was complete. On the other hand, the government counsel submitted that the petitioners living in the gram panchayat were all ‘bogus’ and do not have valid proof to show their identity. 

Taking into consideration of the submissions made by the petitioners’ counsel, the judge ordered the authorities not to evict the petitioners from their hamlets till further orders of the court. The judge issued notices to the authorities for filing counter affidavit and posted the matter to next month for further hearing.