Adilabad: Thousands of tribals lay siege to ITDA-Utnoor PO office

Thousands of tribals laid siege to the ITDA project officer's office in Utnoor, demanding removal of Lambadas from the ST list and protection of tribal rights. The protesters also sought revitalisation of ITDAs, restoration of GO 3 and action against alleged attacks

Adilabad: Under the aegis of Tudum Debba, a tribal rights organisation, and Kumram Bheem Sena, thousands of tribals laid siege to the office of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) project officer in Utnoor on Wednesday.

They demanded that officials take steps to remove the Lambada community from the ST list and ensure statutory rights for tribal communities. They raised slogans against the government, accusing it of adopting anti-tribal policies.

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Kotnaka Vijay, national president of Tudum Debba, alleged that the inclusion of Lambadas in the ST list had deprived native tribal communities of educational and employment opportunities. He claimed that the Lambadas had originally migrated to Telangana from Maharashtra in search of livelihood decades ago. He requested the government to constitute a commission to examine the community’s exclusion from the ST list.

The leaders also wanted the government to revitalise the ITDAs, which they said had been weakened in Telangana. They urged the government to restore Government Order 3, which safeguards the rights of tribal communities. They strongly condemned alleged attacks on tribals by the Forest Department in the name of wildlife protection.

A large police force was deployed at the complex to prevent untoward incidents. Utnoor came under tight security. Police said the protest passed off peacefully. Meanwhile, commercial establishments remained closed across the agency area as part of the bandh called by the organisations.