Exclude tribal villages from the ambit of VMRDA: EAS Sarma

Dr. Sarma pointed out that the authority of the gram Sabha in the Scheduled Areas overrides the authority of any other institution

Visakhapatnam: Former Energy Secretary EAS Sarma has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to exclude six tribal villages and other scheduled villages from the ambit of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA).

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary Adityanath Das here on Wednesday, he said the GO Ms no. 20 issued on Tuesday by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department to include 13 mandals of `non-agency areas’ of Visakhapatnam district, had perhaps, erroneously included six scheduled villages of Nathavaram mandal–Cammachinta, Dharmavaram Agraharam, Kalavavoddu Sarabhavaram, Kuruvada, Pottinagannadorapalem and Sarugudu.

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Noting that the extension of APMRDA Act to the scheduled Areas is violative of the provisions of the Panchayat (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1986 (PES) and the Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which had conferred special authority on the local adivasi gram sabhas in all matters including decisions on projects, forestry schemes and development planning, Dr. Sarma pointed out that the authority of the gram Sabha in the Scheduled Areas overrides the authority of any other institution.

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