Nalgonda: Mismatch between podu land survey and patta applications

This large mismatch has apparently caused a delay in extending pattas to genuine podu land cultivators in the district.

Nalgonda: There appears to be a mismatch between the podu land identified in the survey conducted by district authorities and the applications submitted by tribals in the district for rights on forest lands as podu lands.

According to the survey conducted by Revenue officials to identify podu lands, 6,321 acres of podu land was being used for cultivation by tribals for several decades. However, officials have received applications from 20,446 people for pattas for 55.702 acres of forest land claiming those as podu lands.

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This large mismatch has apparently caused a delay in extending pattas to genuine podu land cultivators in the district.

Persons from the tribal and non-tribal communities from 160 habitations in 13 mandals had applied for pattas for podu lands. In the primary inquiry, officials found that a majority of the applications were not eligible to get the pattas due fake claims of cultivating on podu land.

The highest of 1.784 acres of podu land was being cultivated by tribals in the Tirumalgiri Sagar mandal followed by 1,068 acres in Chandampet mandal. However, 4849 people applied for pattas for 14,656 acres of land in Tirumalgiri Sagar mandal. Interestingly, 32 persons have applied for pattas for a two acre-plot land in a village. Some applicants were found to have taken up cultivation by cutting trees in the forest after 2011.

As per orders of the State government, tribals should be cultivating podu land from 2005 or earlier, should have voter identification and receipts of paying house tax to the grama panchayat. Non-tribal applicants should furnish proof for residing in the place for the last 75 years.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Joint Collector A Bhaskar Rao said persons eligible to get pattas for podu lands should be finalized as per resolutions by the grama panchyat and scrutiny by division and district level committees of officials.