The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Separate ITDAs for tribals sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Separate ITDAs for tribals sought

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, FEB. 23. The Yerukula Hakkula Porata Samiti (YHPS) has sought the opening of separate Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) to ensure development of the tribal community, which has been neglected for more than four decades, living in the plains of the State.

``We plan to take out rallies to the Collectorates in all districts on March 14 and submit memoranda seeking a solution to our demands. This will be followed up with submission of memoranda to the Chief Minister and the Governor on March 28,'' the YHPS State president, Parigi Prabhakar Yerukula, and the State general secretary, B. Anjaneyulu Yerukula, announced at a media conference here on Wednesday.

`Gross injustice'

They alleged that gross injustice was being done to the Yerukula tribe, which had the second largest tribal population in the State. "There are nine ITDAs for the agency tribals. In 2002, another ITDA was set up for Yanadis, who are from the plains and 42 special schemes were launched for Lamabadas in the State through which crores of rupees were being spent on their welfare by the State and Central Governments, apart from international agencies.

However, the Yerukula tribe was neglected with hardly any scheme taken up for their welfare after 1961.

They explained that members of the tribe earned their livelihood by weaving cane baskets.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh