Forest department willing to allocate land to genuine farmers: Officials

Forest officials accused Dimda villagers of encroaching on 2,635 acres of forest land despite owning revenue land. They offered land to genuine landless farmers and alleged political influence behind protests, saying reclaimed areas would help tiger conservation in the region

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Forest officials have alleged that certain residents of Dimda village in Chintalamanepalli mandal have encroached upon forest land despite owning substantial revenue land. The remarks came in apparent response to a protest march undertaken by podu farmers from Dimda to Hyderabad seeking land titles, which reached Kagaznagar on Saturday.

Kagaznagar Forest Divisional Officer Shushanth Bobade said several farmers had occupied large tracts of forest land even though they already possessed land in revenue areas. He stressed that the department would not deny justice to genuine farmers and was ready to allocate up to three acres to those whose land had been retrieved.

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Citing encroachment figures, officials said 2,635 acres of forest cover were being cultivated by Dimda villagers. Of this, 16 families owned 472 acres, while 44 families held 634 acres. Around 1,200 families were cultivating 800 acres. A major portion of the occupied land was in the possession of non-tribals. The department, they said, was willing to earmark land for landless farmers.

Officials suggested the farmers’ march may have been politically influenced, disrupting conservation efforts. They alleged that landholders with more than 30 acres were unhappy with the department’s proposal and were attempting to incite others. The department’s action, they said, aimed to restore forest cover to facilitate conservation of tigers that had migrated to the region from Maharashtra.

They appealed for farmers’ cooperation in protecting both the forest and the tigers.