The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Stop mining in Nalgonda, Vizag: Girijan Samakhya

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Tuesday, Jul 03, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Stop mining in Nalgonda, Vizag: Girijan Samakhya

Staff Reporter

Two-day state-wide conference ‘Mahasabha’ to be held in Hyderabad on July 25 and 26

GUNTUR: Andhra Pradesh Girijan Samakhya president Ramavath Ravindra Kumar Naik has demanded immediate revoking of all permissions and alienation of lands to companies like Jindal in Visakhapatnam and Nalgonda districts to stop injustice towards tribals.

Uranium mining in Nalgonda district and proposed bauxite mining in Visakhapatnam agency area, setting up of factory by Jindal group would lead to violation of 1/70 Act, and deprive the adivasis of their right over the local natural wealth.

The CPI MLA from Devarakonda in Nalgonda district said that a two-day state-wide conference ‘Mahasabha’ of the Samakhya would be organised at Hyderabad on July 25 and 26 to discuss all these issues threadbare.

“Even where projects are taken up with the consent of the tribals, the State Government must ensure compensation prior to beginning of the project work,” the Samakhya president told reporters on the sidelines of their Guntur district level conference on Monday.

“Let the Government ensure providing land for the extent of land lost by tribals,” he said and added that many people from the plain areas were marrying tribal women for the sake of controlling large extents of land in the agency area.

Law should be framed to stop this kind of fraud as majority of them were resorting to bigamy.

‘Funds diverted’

In majority of the districts in the State, funds meant for Scheduled Tribes were not spent and diverted for other schemes or purposes, he said pointing out that Rs.40 crore was diverted in the last financial year. Current year allocation was Rs.425 crore for the welfare of the STs and 7 per cent of budgetary allocation had to be made in each department for carrying out works in their respective areas.

Majority of tribal women from the plains in Nalgonda and other Telangana districts (comprising Sugalis, Lambadis) were being sold into brothels in Rayalaseema towns, which must be stopped, he demanded the Government.

In the agency areas, irrigation, drinking water, medical care and education was still a distant dream for many of the STs, he observed.

About 50,000 delegates were expected on July 25 at Hyderabad meeting, while on July 26 about 500 members of the Samakhya were expected to deliberate on several issues.

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