Bhadrachalam ITDA: No governing body meet in 18 months, tribal bodies slam State Govt

Bhadrachalam ITDA’s governing body meeting, meant to be held quarterly, has not been convened for 18 months, angering tribal groups. Leaders allege government neglect of adivasi welfare, citing stalled projects and pending TRICOR loans

Kothagudem: The governing body meeting of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Bhadrachalam, which is mandated to be held every three months, has not been convened for the past 18 months, drawing sharp criticism from the tribal community.

The meeting plays a crucial role in discussing community issues and taking decisions to address them, but public representatives and the State government are showing little interest in holding it. The last meeting was held on February 17, 2023.

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The Bhadrachalam ITDA’s jurisdiction covers Kothagudem, Khammam, Mahabubabad and Mulugu districts. Local adivasis have been demanding priority in the allocation of ration cards and Indiramma houses in the agency area.

With the government failing to conduct the meeting, tribal associations say they lack a proper forum to raise their concerns. “ITDA is considered a mini-Collectorate. It has been a practice for tribal public representatives and associations to discuss their problems in the presence of concerned Ministers and officials,” said Bhadrachalam Adivasi Samithi general secretary Payam Ravi Varma.

He added that there is no information on the progress of development initiatives approved in the last meeting. “The podu lands issue is troubling adivasis in many areas under the ITDA and needs to be resolved. Convening the meeting is essential to review development works in agency areas regularly,” he noted.

Another adivasi leader, Punem Pradeep, alleged that loans sanctioned by the Telangana Scheduled Tribes Cooperative Finance Corporation Limited (TRICOR) two years ago have not yet been released.

“The government’s negligence towards tribal welfare is evident. Not holding a single governing body meeting in the past one-and-a-half years proves it. The government should release the funds required for the development of adivasis,” he demanded.

Leaders of several tribal associations urged district Ministers Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Thummala Nageswara Rao to intervene and convene the ITDA governing body meeting immediately.