WhatsApp to monitor students

Social networking messenger WhatsApp is to be used to improve the students and teachers attendance and ensure teachers are punctual and keep a watch on health condition of the students in the Tribal Ashram schools in the district.

As many as 150 smart phones are being given to the headmasters and principals to share information on WhatsApp with the officials of ITDA, Utnoor and for immediate action.

There are a total 168 Tribal Ashtram schools, Residential school, mini- Gurukulam, KGBV,  satellite centres (tribal schools) in the Adilabad district.          

The move was also aimed to improve the administration in the tribal Ashram schools and speedy transformation of information like health of the students if any such incident took place and also to improve the student and teachers attendance.

Project officer of ITDA R. V Karnan took the serious note of the rising students deaths caused by fevers in the Tribal Ashram Schools in the recent past and found negligence of the teaching staff in such incidents in the inquiry and suspended  regular teachers, contract residential teacher (CRT) and contract ANMs in such incidents holding them responsible for such incidents.         

The move was initiated following the survey report that teacher are not coming to schools in time and manipulating the students attendance.

A senior officer in the ITDA, Utnoor said, ‘they were in the process of finalizing the companies of cellphone services and looking at whether a particular cellphone service company having network in the interior areas where tribal school located’. Earlier, ITDA officials distributed landline phones to all the tribal schools to check the attendance and pass on information to officials.

It is learnt that officials of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor, purchased smart phones each for Rs 7,000.

The school teachers and principals have to update the information to the ITDA officials about the attendance of the teachers and students, any incidents, photographs of the students suffering from ill health so that officials concerned can react immediately to the incidents and especially in health condition of the students in emergencies.

Adivasis bring back dropouts to school

 

Kolam dropout girl students  

Adivasis have launched their own mission to bring back the dropout Adivasi students to the schools and colleges. Adivasis are of the opinion that education can bring positive change in their lives and are making all out effort to educate their children.     

Adivasi leaders have been visiting Adivasi gudems for the last two months to identify dropout students and students who discontinued their studies at SSC, Intermediate, Degree and Post Graduate levels.

Leaders of Adivasi Vidyarathi Sangham also collecting personal data of Adivasi students and their education qualifications and marks they secured in different courses and what they are doing at present.

Sangham district president Vedma Bojju said they are more than 5,000 school and college dropouts among the Gond Adivasis alone in the district and they are in the process of consolidate the data they have collected and to admit the dropout students at tribal welfare Ashram schools.

It is found that a majority of the students had discontinued their studies after intermediate and some of them after degree due to financial problems. Among them, some of the students discontinued their studies as they have failed to clear the subjects.

Some of the students are pursuing degree and post graduation courses through distance education mode while working in their agriculture fields and supporting their families.

It is also found that most of the Adivasis students are taking admission in social studies at intermediate, degree level as they felt that science subject were hard to study and they could not complete the courses if they take admission in MPC, BiPC, B.Sc, B.Zc courses. Very few Adivasi students got admission in post graduation regular courses in universities and that too in social sciences.

On the other hand, leaders of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Kolam tribe have started a survey in Kolam gudems to identify the dropout students two months ago.

District president of Kolam Vidyarthi Sangham Sidam Ganghadhar said they found nearly 260 dropouts in Class V-IX including 120 girls belonging to Kolam tribe and admitted them at various Tribal Ashram schools district.

Such surveys are also being conducted to identify the drop out students in other PVTG Thoti, Mannerwar Adivasi groups. 

Nagoba Jatara in natures' lap

Adivasis with sacred water proceeding to Nagoba temple 

Adivasis, who are the nature lovers, elated over their famous Nagoba Jatara being conducted as a plastic carrier bags- free jatara for the first time. It is scheduled for February 7 to 15 in Adilabad district.

A decision has been taken to this effect by R. V. Karnan, project officer of ITDA, Utnoor by imposing ban on using plastic in and around the temple premises during Jatara.

Adivasis of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh will attend Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur village in Indravelli  mandal in Adilabad district.

The non-tribal devotees visiting the Nagoba temple during Jatara has increased in the last 15 years due publicity in media.

Adivasis use big sized teak leaves for plates during their community feasts to avoid polluting the environment. This practice is an indication of their love and responsibility to protect nature and mother earth.

Plastic will take thousands of years to biodegrade and causes environment pollution and health problems.   

The decision was taken to control the environment pollution with using plastic bags, covers and other items extensively during the jatara. Adivasis are nature lovers and give much respect to the mother nature and will cause no damage to the nature  in their day to life and their life style was in tune with the nature.

Project officer R. V Karnan said they had taken a decision imposing ban on using any kind of plastic in and around the Nogoba temple during Jatara to avoid polluting the environment and also in view of the health of the people who visit the temple during Jatra.

Government teacher Kanaka Venkatesh of Marlavai village in Jainoor mandal welcomed the ITDA’s decision imposing ban on using plastic during Jatra and  observed that the decision was in tune with the Adivasis life style.    

Writers take to FB for promotion

Book lovers with  writer B.S Ramulu at Hyd Book Fair  

A new trend is being followed with regard to the ongoing Hyderabad Book Fair and sale of books by Telugu writers and poets. 

Writers and poets took the social networking site Facebook to attract the attention of people towards their books and increase book sales. Hyderabad Book Fair has become popular on the social networking site Facebook.        

Even people from districts are going to Hyderabad to purchase books in fair following the Facebook requests by their friends and writers.

Book lovers are selecting books to be purchased and straight away going to respective book stalls with the information shared on Facebook. Writers and poets are promoting their books put up for sale as part of Hyderabad Book fair and book releasing events on Facebook.

The writers are sharing information about their book stall and inviting the friends in state and bordering state to visit their book stall and attend inauguration of their books.

Book lovers coming from districts to the Hyderabad Book Fair will not find it difficult in finding their choice of books as they were getting information on posts shared about the book staff number, about book release functions discussions on new and old books.

Speaking to this newspaper over phone, President, Trust of Hyderabad Book Fair Juluri Gowrishankar, said ‘book lovers are following the posts regularly on facebook posted by writers and poets about new books.

He said ‘even people from districts are also coming to book fair this time and social networking sites are contributing to the popularity of the Hyderabad Book Fair’.

K. Krishnakanth of Adilabad said he was planning to go to Hyderabad to visit Hyderabad Book Fair and will purchase some books.

Safe drinking water a luxury

Atram Pullabai of Chapral

Drinking safe water (borewell) is cause for celebration for the Adivasis of interior areas where there is a drastic fall in the ground water table due to successive droughts in the Adilabad district.

The ground water table has gone down 7.81 meters in November, 2015 when compared to 7.16 meters in the corresponding period of 2014. It means -0.65 meters water table was depleted in the Adilabad district.    

Adivasis are now fetching water from streams, rivulets and drinking wells by walking long distances and majority of these water sources are on the verge of drying up while majority of bore wells were already dry in the district.    

People in general and Adivasis in particular have already experiencing severe drinking water shortage due to prolonged drought conditions in the district and this situation may become worst as summer fast approach.

On the other hand, most of the drinking water schemes have become defunct in the villages and Adivasi gudems due to minor repairs and drinking polluted water causing health problems for the people.      

Adivasis of a few interior gudems like Chapral save water available in the lone borewell fixed with a tap which gives only three buckets of waters every and they extract water one in a while from that borewell to offer that water to relatives when they visit their village or during the festivals. 

The remaining days, Adivasis of village drink muddy water fetched from streams and rivulets. Chapral village is just 7 km from Utnoor headquarters and ITDA office. 

Atram Pullabai of Chapral in Utnoor mandal said ‘villagers are collecting water from deserted well and also local streams and rivulets and using the same water drinking and bathing purposes’.

‘Every day she could hardly fetch only three buckets of water from the local stream and there is huge demand for this water as most of the villagers depend on the same stream and have to put their buckets in a queue waiting for their turn for hours together’, she said.

Mesram Nagorao of the Chapral said ‘they hardly get two or three buckets of water every day from lone borewell tap as ground water table gone down deep due to prolonged drought conditions. They take water once in a week from borewell to give water to their relatives when visit their village or use the borewells water during the festivals and any other celebrations’.He said they used the water collected from the borewell tap during Gussadi festival recently. 

For the last few days the borewell motor is not operational as the electric wire got damaged and few villagers got low level electric shocks while collecting water from the tap and children are at great risk.

ITDA staff fixed the inadequate electric wire and connected to electric motor. Villagers removed the electric wire from the tap to avoid incidents of electric shocks as children were playing around the tap’, said Nagorao.   

Drought hits purchasing power

Prolonged drought has not just affected the agriculture but also the livelihood of many people depends on farming community. It has lowered the purchasing power of the people in general and farmers in particular.

Purchasing power in the villages has been lost in the last two years and people are not buying even cheap goods these days. It is also observed that there was no circulation of money in the market due to prolonged drought conditions.

Wooden furniture seller who sell them at comparatively cheap prices say that farmers are not buying their furniture this year unlike in the past due to lack of money due to crop damages because of prolonged drought conditions, low yield,  and no profits for cotton this season.

Baburao Oruganti of Karimnagar is in the business of making furniture of Ghairikatte’ (Thumma) to sell in the villages for the last 20 years. Baburao went to Tirupati two months ago and tonsured his head offering hairs to Lord Venkanna seeking blessings to sell all his furniture this year but in vain.

Distressed Baburao said ‘not even half of their furniture sold during one month period this year but they used to sell total furniture just in one week in the past in the village in Adilabad district’. 

Baburao said farmers’ financial condition has become worst from bad this agriculture season and added that they used to sell their furniture like hotcakes during their village visits after harvesting period in the past but things have changed a lot this year.

‘The financial condition of the people was somewhat good in other districts when compared to Adilabad district as there are some industries and other businesses’, he said.

The affect of the prolonged drought on the people’s purchasing power is experienced in villages in Bela, Gudihatnoor, Indravelli, Utnoor, Ichoda, Neredigonda, Janioor and Boath, Tamsi and Talamadugu in west part of Adilabad district and condition are also same in villages in east part of the district.

Adivasi girl conquer Mt Renock in Himalayas

Sidam Anjali

Sidam Anjali of Tribal Welfare Residential School for Girls and K. Manisha of KGBV of Ichoda mandal of this district scaled one of the toughest peaks of Himalayan range- Mt Renock.

They arrived at Ichoda town in Adilabad district to a rousing welcome on Sunday.  The students achieved the feat on December7.

Sidam Anjali hails from Kolam tribe which is one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) and she is the only Adivasi girl who scaled a mountain in Himalayas.

These girls were among the team of 31 students of Telangana Tribal Welfare and Social Welfare Residential Educational institutions Society who scaled the Mt Renock. 

Both Sidam Anjali and K. Manisha are class IX students hailing froma poor family.

Sidam Anjali is native of Gouriguda village in Jainoor mandal while Manisha is from Navegaon village in Ichoda mandal.

Anjali’s parents Sunitha and Sidam Dev participated in the victory rally took out in the Ichoda town on the arrival of the two students.  Manisha’s mother Ramdabai participated in the victory celebrations held at KGBV School organized by the schools staff.

Speaking to this newspaper, Sidam Anjali said she was scared to join the team to scale a mountain in Himalayas but she achieved the target with the support of TSWREIS secretary R. S Praveen Kumar and added that her ambition is to achieve   the distinction of being the youngest person to conquer the highest peak in Himalayan Range. 

KCR corporate farmer : Varavara

Revolutionary writer and Virasam leader Varavara Rao said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was the best example of a corporate farmer as he was cultivating capsicum and other crops in his farmhouse and this was actually a living style in America.

He observed that the trend of owning a farmhouse and doing agriculture in big tracts was fast catching up in Telangana while small and marginal farmers are disappearing from the agriculture scene due crisis in Agriculture.

Varavara Rao was in Adilabad to receive senior Naxalite Kursinge Mothi Bai who was released from district jail on Saturday.

He observed that suicidal tendencies are increasing among the people including students, prisoners and farmers and society is becoming ‘suicidal society’

Varavara Rao alleged the ruling government is cancelling the earlier proposed irrigation projects on river Godavari in the Godavari valley on the direction of World Bank after finding huge deposits of minerals in the surveys in the Telangana.

He alleged that State and Central governments are evacuating the Adivaisi from their traditional habitat in the name of Tiger Reserves in Adilabad and Mahaboobnagar district eyeing on rich deposits of minerals and further alleged that former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh stayed in Mahboobnagar for two days when he was Minister and subsequently hundreds of acres of forest lands with rich minerals was allocated to multinational company for mining. 

Cops, Maoists face threat from poachers

Police and Maoists who are playing hide and seek game in the forests for the last one year are facing life threat from unexpected quarters: poachers who put up live electric wires targeting the forest animals, and farmers who put up electric fences to protect their crops in the Adilabad district.

As many as 7 persons, some cattle and forest animals electrocuted at various places in this year when they came into contact with live electric wires put up targeting forest animals or to protect standing crops from the animals by farmers or poachers.

Police and Maoists are facing threat of coming into contact with live electric wires when they move in the forests.

It is learnt that police is taking all precautionary measures while combing in the forests and on the fringes of villages and avoiding combining in the night time.     

Police took the serious note of the poachers putting up live electric wires after they faced difficulties during the combing operations. Police warned the poachers of stern action if they were found setting up live electric wires.

Superintendent of police Dr Tarun Joshi appealed to farmers to adopt methods to protect their crops which will not cause any harm to people and warned of filing cases against the farmers and poachers who put up live electric wires.

‘Farmers will go to their agriculture fields even at night to water their standing crops and the farmers and cattle may face the danger from live electric wires, SP said and adding that setting up live elective wires to protect standing crops was against the law’.

Police intensified combing operations in the forests to flush out the Maoists following their increased movement in the forests and on the fringes of interior villages in the district.

Dirty dozen caught on camera

Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) personnel of Adilabad district conducted sting operation on 10 government employees including officers of five departments.

They were caught on hidden camera used by complainant on behalf of the ACB few days before the Diwali festival in Mancherial town in Adilabad district.

This is first- of- its kind incident that took place in the state in which 10 government employees were caught demanding bribes.   

But the ACB officials have not filed charge sheet till now and waiting for instructions for higher ups and permission from the state government. ACB officials of the Adilabad submitted detailed report to ACB Director General A. K Khan who in return wrote a letters to the heads of the accused officials to take stern action against them. 

The ACB officials filed FIR NO: 12 RCO/-ACB-Adb/2015 in the ACB court of Karimnagar on November16.  

As many as 12 ACB cases have been booked against corrupt government employees so far in the year 2015 in the district and among them are from Transco, Government doctor and Panchayatraj and Revenue departments.

Adilabad ACB officials led by DSP Boda Papalal conducted sting operation on officials of Fire Services, Revenue, Electricity, Police and Municipality who demanded the owners of the crackers shops for issuing permission to set up shops for Diwali festival in Mancherial.

Boda Papalal said ‘the complainant representing the owners of the 20 crackers shops directly approached the Deputy Director of ACB and lodged a complaint against the officials of the five departments who demanded him money to issue licenses to put up crackers shops few days before the Diwali’.

He said ‘top ACB officials instructed him to look into the matter secretly and subsequently they conducted sting operation on the officers facing allegations including CC to Mancherial RDO, Sanitary inspector,  Fire office, Deputy Tahsildar, Revenue Inspector, writer to Circle Inspector in Mancherial police station and Transco Assistant Engineer.

According to sources, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) is waiting for the permission from the state government to proceed further and file charge sheet because of gravity of the incident and more officials involved in it.

ACB officials say that complainant gave bribe ranging Rs10,000 to Rs 50,000 to each officer for issuing license to establish crackers shops in the Mancherial town for Diwali.     

Bridge faces inundation threat

Low lying Rayapatnam bridge and incomplete high level bridge. 

The existing 50- year- old low-lying inter-district bridge on river Godavari between Gudem of Adilabad and Rayapatnam of Karimnagar districts is facing threat of being inundated in the rising backwaters of Sripada Yellampalli irrigation project.

Huge delay in construction of new bridge on Godavari may badly affect the road connectivity between Karimnagar and Adilabad districts if the old low-lying bridge is submerged due to incomplete new high level bridge.

The backwater of Yellampalli irrigation project is increasing gradually as the project was not in operational and not discharging the water to downstream. The  project was not yet inaugurated officially.

The traffic is dense on this route because devotees visit famous Satyanarayana Swamy temple at Gudem who visit Dharmapuri temple. It is said that the pushkara ghats constructed on the Godavari river bed for the Godavari pushkaralu will also be submerged at Gudem if the project backwaters level rises to the maximum in the future.

It was expected that the new high level bridge on Godavari will be completed just before the beginning of the Godavari pushkaralu but in that did not happen.      

Last date for completion of the bridge was extended for thrice but still remains incomplete.

Construction of a bridge with 28 pillars was taken up with the estimated cost of Rs 50 crore and construction work of bridge is going on at snail’s pace.

Actually the construction of new bridge was started in 2010-11 and it should have been completed by 2013. The state government has extended the time till July, 2014 and in vain. However, water is being lifted sometimes at Gudem Lift Irrigation which was inaugurated few months ago.      

During a recent review meeting, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao instructed the officials concerned of the Adilabad to complete the incomplete bridges and roads on war footing to improve road connectivity. 

Chief Minister also asked the roads and buildings minister Thummala Nageshwar Rao and Panchayatraj Minister K. Ramarao to personally inspect the incomplete works of bridges and roads in the Adilabad.

An engineer of Roads and Buildings department said ‘Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who is likely to visit the Adilabad soon may inspect the construction works of new bridge taken up on Godavari at Gudem and may inaugurate the Sripada Yellampalli project.

News is making rounds in the political circles that, possibilities are being explored to take some water to Hyderabad from Yellampalli project instead Pranahitha- Chevella and that is why water is not being discharged to downstream from the Yellampalli project.    

ATA conducts eye medical camp

American Telugu Association (ATA) has conducted an eye medical camp in the interior Waghapur village in Adilabad mandal and medical experts treated 300 people at the camp on Tuesday.

Free medicines distributed to the patients and cataract operations will be conducted to the needy free of cost and spectacles will be given on behalf of Association.     

Minister Jogu Ramanna inaugurated the one –day eye medical camp. The doctors advised cataract operations for 30 patients and spectacle for 170 out of total 300 those were treated at the medical camp.

Karunakar Asireddy, President Elect, American Telugu Association (ATA) and Regional Director Anil Boddireddy of Association and others supervised the camp. A team of doctors performed the tests.

Nearly 300 people came from Palli, Kolamguda, Peddapalli, Chinnapalli, Laxmipur, Vaizapur and Waghapur treated at the free eye medical camp. Thammala Linganna,80 of Waghapur said he was tested and advised him to go for cataract operation locally. The Association is conducting free medical camps in all districts in Telangana and four districts in Andhra Pradesh.        

In Sharma's death, Adivasis of TS lose a friend indeed

B.D Sharma 

Former commissioner of National Commission for SCs and STs and Adivasi rights activist B. D Sharma, who passed away on Sunday, has worked all his life for the empowerment of the Adivasis and their constitutional rights. He had special attachment with Adivasis of the Adilabad.  

Sharma led the Adivasis agitation demanding that governments recognize Rai centres (socio cultural centres and traditional decision making bodies Adivasis) legislative bodies in the Adilabad.

He had worked closely with the Adivasis of the Adilabad and toured the district extensively. He was also instrumental in enactment of PESA and Forest Rights Act.

Telangana Adivasi Aikya Vedika state convenor Sidam Shambu recalled his association with the B. D Sharma. 

Shambu said Sharma extensively toured the Adivasi areas and studied the functioning of Rai centres and demanded legislative powers to these social institutions.

N. Madhusudan of Food Sovereignty India said ‘Sharma strongly advocated the Self Rule for the Adivasis with the slogan Mava Nate Mava Raj (Our rule in Our Village) and effective implementation of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act PESA,1996 and Forest Rights Act-2006’. He said with the passing of B.D Sharma, Adivasis of the country have lost a strong voice.

Another Adivasi leader Shiva Prasad of Adivasi Aikya Vedika said B. D Sharma was unhappy with the way the Forest Rights Act was being implemented in the country though it was an Act enacted to empower the Adivasis and to protect their rights.       

Adivasis are still using indigenous methods

Adivasis use several indigenous methods to chase away birds and forest animals which eat and destroy pulses-redgram, greengram, ground nut and grains such as jowar and maize standing crops in the Adilabad district of Telangana.      

They devise instruments from scarp an material available at hand to create sounds  that scare the birds and forest animals instead killing them especially wild boar and deer.    

For example, they hang two steel plates side by side to tree on a tree branch in the fields, the contract creating an off- putting sound. They also create sound by hanging beer bottle and a small iron rod to a tree branch. Adivasis also beat small, empty iron drums and use slings to throw stones.

Some of these methods have been in use since time immemorial, like hanging damaged white plastic bags that of once held rice or urea to convey the impression of there being a human presence.

A scarecrow is a common enough ploy, but they also torch waste wood. They also keep the birds at bay, using a sling from the manche or shed placed in the middle of the  an agriculture field.  

These methods are being used to protect their standing crops from the birds and forest animals from time immemorial and this traditional knowledge passed on to the new generations from their ancestors.

Kursinge Nagorao of Chapral village in Utnoor mandal said even today they depended on traditional knowledge systems that had been transmitted down the generations and had successfully protected their pulses and grains from the depredation by animals and birds.

‘Saving the standing crops in this way is a must for the Adivasis as their fields  are located in or near the forests’, he  said. 

Mushaira sums up mood

The Halaath –E- Hazira (prevailing conditions in the country) including ‘growing intolerance’, escalated prices of essential commodities, changing trends among the youth, corruption, life of common man reflected in the poetry recited by the renowned poets of the country.

The poets touched upon all the prevailing social, economical and political happenings in the country.  

One of the poets said ‘Nobody can vacate their home’ claiming that India is their home land’ as a message to the people of this country from the Mushaira. 

Political mood prevailing in the country reflected at the 12^th   All India Mushaira held at Adilabad on Monday night. 

Poets from across country, many of whom have performed in overseas events participated in the Mushaira that ended just before the dawn.

Renowned poets recited couplets reflecting current issues and social evils haunting the society.

Majority of the poems recited by the poets reflected the political mood prevailing in the country as they responded in their own way to the ‘growing intolerance’ in the country and commented on the prevailing political situation.

Noori Azeezi in her poem expressed concern over escalated prices of essential commodities and explained how they hit the common man and questioned how poor can afford dal being sold at Rs 200 per kg and also increased prices of train tickets.

Senior poets compared the old and new traditions they experienced in their life. 

Minister for forest and environment Jogu Ramanna was on the dais when a poet was reciting a poem on the growing corruption among the political leaders and how much greedy political leaders are for Kursi (power) leaving common to their fate.       

Nayeem Akthar Khadri, Burhanpur of Uttar Pradesh, Noori Azeezi of Jalna and Jameel Saher of Malegaon of Maharashtra, Gazi Salauddin, Jameel Nizambadi, Ashwaq Asfi and Eqbal Ahmed of Nizamabad, Riyaz  Tanha, Tasleem Johar and Sulthan Shutari of Hyderabad participated in Mushaira.

The Mushaira enthralled the poetry lovers. Fayaz Shama is the convernor of JAWA (Jeevandhan Association for Welfare activities) which organized the event.

Road connectivity improves

Road connectivity is improving gradually in the villages and connectivity to the district head quarters from Mandal head quarters with state government taking up laying new roads on priority in the recent past in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

One can see the improving road connectivity in the interior areas of Adilabad and Sirpur (T) Assembly constituencies.       

New culverts and bridges are being constructed in place of existing low-level bridges in the tribal areas in Adilabad and Sirpur (T) Assembly constituencies and also in village in Chennur Assembly constituency where the existing the low-level bridged used to be submerged in the flood waters.

New internal roads are being laid in the villages and also connectivity to mandal head quarters and also connecting mandal headquarters to district head quarters.     

The flood situation affects the transportation to the interior villages located in the district. Roads and bridges sanctioned under Panchayatraj and R&B departments with the estimated cost of Rs 2,930 cores in the district.

Of the total, Rs 1,700 crore had been sanctioned for works under R& B and Rs 1,230 crore under Panchayatraj in the district.  

Of the total Rs 1,700 under Roads and Building department, as many as Rs 514.3 crores towards 21 road works between Mandal headquarters to district headquarters, Rs 284.77 crores for 22 road works of converting the single road to double roads, Rs 418 crore for 86 new bridges and Rs 122.2 crores for 54 repairs works in the district.

Proposal are being prepared for laying a road for the distance of 80 km between Bejjur to Chennur to improve the road connectivity in between the most backward mandals in eastern part of the district.

New blacktop (BT) roads had been laid in the Sirsanna, Guda and Rampur, Akoli, Deepaiguda, Pippalgoan , Landa Sanghi , Arli, and Neerala village in Jainad mandal and some of the roads are under progress in the same mandal. Double road is being laid between Adilabad to Bela via Jainad.  

Double road was laid from Both X roads to Boath town enabling the free flow of transportation in Boath Assembly constituency.

‘Laying new roads are visible development in the villages these days in some mandals and that is why the ruling TRS government is giving much priority to the roads and added that road connectivity brings development to the interior villages’, a senior political leader of the district observed.

NPR data to be used for Citizen cards

The data being collected as part of the ongoing field survey for National Population Register (NPR) reportedly will be used to issue Citizenship Cards to the citizens of the country in near future.

Data will also be used to issue passport and visa to the Indian citizens in the coming days. The Local Register of Usual Residents (LRUR) is preparing it under National Population Register (NPR). 

It is for the first time Aadhaar numbers are being collected from the citizens as part of the survey which was not done in 2010 survey. The Aadhaar numbers will be seeded with updated National population data base. 

According to official information, integrated data with 14 details of personal information, electronic data base of biometrics such as photographs, ten impressions of fingers and iris of two eyes of individuals will be preserved in the National Population Register for future.

It is stated in the instructions booklet given to the teachers appointed as enumerators that the Citizens Act-1955 and Citizens Rules-2003 are the legal base for the National Population Register.

Teachers as enumerators collecting the details about the residence, native place, state and country of the individuals and Aadhaar number as part of survey being conducted for National Population Register (NPR).

Teachers are furnishing the details of the individuals about their residence, living in the country or outside the country. 

A.  Venkat, a government teacher working as enumerator in NPR survey, said they were instructed to collect the accurate data of individuals and also Aadhaar numbers and new family members as the data will be used to issue citizens cards to the citizens of the country in near future and added that data is also be used in issuing passport and visa to the citizens.

He said data of the NPR is going to be more useful and will be used for many purposes by the state and Central governments. The respondent has to furnish the details of his or her native village, town, district and state and country if they belonged to India. 

Also the same details has to be  furnished if anybody residing in another country under 10^th column in the NPR database booklet. With these details, it would be easily identified whether the citizen is an Indian or an NRI and illegally staying in India.

Adivasis don't waste food at functions

Adivasis do not waste food when they attend functions, celebrations or community feasts in their gudems. 

It is difficult to find an Adivasi leaving some of the food in  his or her plates and washing their hands and throwing the remaining food in the dustbin finishing their lunch or dinner at Adivasis’ community feasts or other celebrations.   

The Adivasis will take the leftover food to their homes for their family members or to eat it some other time.

This practice called ‘Ghato Thinji Ani Oival’ (means eating food and taking the leftover food to their homes) was popular among the Adivasi communities even today in Adilabad district.

Generally Adivasis carry their own plates, bowls when invited to community feasts or any function or celebration in their Gudems. Sometimes, the organizers provide teak or other leaves to be used as plates.       

It is said that the practice is nothing but Adivasis’ respect for food and they never waste food because they knew the risk and labour involved in food gathering, hunting to fill their bellies and also in cultivation of crops and protecting them from the forest animals.

Wastage of food has become major problem in urban and non- tribal communities especially in well to do families while lakhs of people suffering from hunger. 

Adivasis maintain discipline while participating in community fests and sit in line. Cooked Mutton or chicken pieces and soup will be served separately to the Adivasis at community feats.

Sidam Shambu, headman of the Mattadiguda village in Utnoor mandal, said the mutton or chicken pieces and soup will be served separately to the Adivasi people during community feasts to ensure that all will get equal number of pieces.

N. Madhusudhan of NGO Yakshi which works on Adivasis issues, said Adivasis in Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh where he worked also take the leftover food with them to their homes after eating at functions or community feats as they do not want to waste the food and this was their way of respecting to the hard earned food unlike others.

An intermediate student Sidam Nandini of Mattadiguda of Utnoor mandal said she has been practicing the ‘Ghato Thinji Ani Oival’ since his child hood on seeing their family members and parents. She said the practice was nothing but Adivasis respect to food and food grains.

She said it was true that after many phases in Agriculture from sowing seeds or planting paddy to harvesting, rice or other food grains comes as a food into their plates and lot of labor goes into this process.