Adivasi podu farmers clash with forest staff in Kothagudem’s Aswapuram mandal

Migrant adivasi podu farmers clashed with forest department staff at Vemuluru village in Kothagudem district during plantation works under the CAMPA scheme. The confrontation, which left several people with minor injuries, was captured on video and went viral.

Kothagudem: An incident of migrant adivasi podu farmers with forest department personnel at Vemuluru village in Aswarapuram mandal in the district came to light.

According to forest officials the staff carried out plantation and forest restoration works in compartment number: 165 of Regulagandi-A Beat Manubothulapadu Section in Manuguru forest range on Friday.

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Nearly 20 hectares of highly valuable forest land in the compartment was allocated for advance-cum-raising works under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)-Net Present Value (NPV) scheme.

Before commencing the work, forest officials met with the locals and explained the plantation programme and sought their cooperation. On June 29 the boundaries of the 20-hectare work area were demarcated in the presence of the locals; but they obstructed the work on several occasions.

A written complaint was submitted to Aswapuram police on July 10. When forest officials and staff were engaged in digging trenches in the forest area on Friday a group of women obstructed the work; clashed with forest staff, including female members.

A statement from the forest department on Saturday stated that the staff attempted to protect themselves and to extricate themselves from the confrontation. The staff had no personal dispute with the individuals involved in the incident and they only performed their duties at the site.

In the video clippings of the clash shared on social media went viral. Several persons on either side suffered minor injuries in the incident. A complaint was lodged with the police about the Friday’s incident and the case is currently under investigation.

Meanwhile, the Jana Sena Party, CPI (ML) New Democracy Party and others demanded action against the forest staff for attacking the adivasis.