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.

Former MLC Sultan Ahmed passes away

Senior political leader Mohammed Sultan Ahmed, 76, former MLC, president of Telangana Beedi Leaves Contractors Association passed away due to prolonged illness while undergoing treatment in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

He was native of Chennur in Adilabad district. His last rites will be held tomorrow evening in Chennur.

Sultan Ahmed was senior Congress leader and held many positions in the party at state and national level and also worked as Zilla Parishad Chairman during 1985-86 and MLC in 2007 when he was in congress party.

Sultan Ahmed recently joined TRS along with his son Chennur Market committee chairman Ismail Ahmed Zulfikar.  Sulthan Ahmed was one of the senior congress leaders in the district who had good rapport with the party high command when he was in Congress party.

He also contested for Adilabad Member of Parliament and MLA from Sirpur (T) but was unsuccessful.

Senior leaders including Ministers Allola Indrakaran Reddy and Jogu Ramanna, former MP G. Vivek of the district expressed condolence on death of Sulthan Ahmed and remembered his contributions for the development of the district and welfare of the people as a public representative and senior political leader.

Police stations turn coaching centres

Police stations are doubling up into free coaching centres for unemployed youth of interior areas preparing for police constables and sub- inspector posts in the district.

District police are giving free training to the interested youth at a few police stations currently and will be extended soon to all the police stations in the district. Study material prepared by the top police officials will be given free in addition to the giving guidance to the prospective candidates.

District police came out with this decision in the wake of state government’s notification for recruitment of constables and Sub inspectors posts on large numbers.

SP Dr Tarun Joshi asked the police officials to impart training to the interested youth preparing for jobs in the police department. The free coaching was planned as part of people friendly policing and ‘police meekosam’.

It is said that in most of the police station, the recently appointed young sub- inspectors had better understanding about written test and pattern of questions and syllabus for the recruitment of post of police constables and sub- inspectors.

The Utnoor DSP R. Venkateshwarlu (who was recently transferred) has prepared the study material in accordance with the new methodology useful for the candidates prepare for written examination for SI and constable posts.

The material was distributed free to 340 youths from Utnoor division preparing for the posts in the month of July. Police have been conducting such training programs also in Kagaznagar division under the Supervision of DSP Gummi Chakrawarthy. 

Now the same material is being printed in large number of copies to be distributed to the unemployed youth preparing for police constable and sub- inspector posts. At the same time guidance will be given to the candidates preparing for the police recruitment about physical tests and how to get through those tests.

SP Dr Tarun Joshi said the police have been closely associated with people by actively participating in government schemes Haritha Haram, rendering their services to the devotees in Godavari Pushkaralu, Gramajyoti, Mission Kakatiya and Swacch Bharath in the district. He added that they had also adopted some tanks under Mission Kakatiya and villages under Gramajyoti.

Focus will be laid in the written test for police constables and Sub- inspector jobs as state government is seriously considering to scrapping the 5km run as a physical test for police constable and sub-inspector jobs. 

No workers to pick cotton

Shortage of agriculture labour hit the cotton picking and hundreds acre of cotton fields are seen with plants full of cotton bolls with flowering in the villages in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

The cotton bolls are remained in the agriculture field and being dropped due to inordinate delay in picking.

There is a huge demand for agriculture labour for cotton picking and farmers engaging them offering extra money. The price will go up Rs 7 per kg cotton picking based on demand and price increases from first picking to last picking.     

Recently, two farmers fought over taking labourers with them for cotton picking at Adilabad railway station. Farmers provide free transportation to the agriculture labor and sometimes even free lunch. These Maharashtra labourers come for cotton picking in mostly bordering mandals in Nirmal and Adilabad divisions.  

A farmer Jangil Dashrath of Ichoda said Rs 6 per kg is paying for cotton picking comes to Rs 6,000 if yield is 10 quintals cotton in one acre land and observed that there was huge demand for the laborers due to their shortage.

He said they engaged Maharashtra labour as there was huge demand for labourers for cotton picking as cotton crop reached harvesting stage at a same time in the Agriculture fields in the villages.

Farmer L.T Chandrakanth Reddy of Bellur in Jainad mandal said it was seen farmers waiting at bus stations and Adilabad railway station for the Agriculture labor arriving from bordering Maharashtra every cotton season for cotton picking and this was every day activity for some of the farmers due to shortage of labor.

He said total 20,000 laborers come in season peak to Adilabad division alone from the bordering Maharashtra for cotton picking every season and added that every day nearly 500 labourers come to Adilabad and some of them go to their villages for some days and again come back and this migration will begin in October and will go on till March every year. 

Majority of the farmers do not get profits due to high labor charges, low cotton price in the market and increased investments costs in cotton cultivation, pest attack and low yield due to prolonged dry spell. Each laborer picks 60-70 kg per day and earning an average Rs 350.

One can find nearly 100 labourers of Maharashtra in each major village in Tasmi, Talamadugu, Bela, Jainad and Adilabad mandals during cotton season and their numbers will decrease gradually from January onward.

The local agriculture labourer will not work during festival days like Pola, Dasara and Diwali and this coincide with the cotton picking period.

Rising social discord helps Maoists

History is repeating itself as far as Maoist movement in north Telangana is concerned.

Land related disputes, discrimination with villagers based on caste and class, villagers forming groups to take revenge against each other are leading to them siding either side of police or Maoists.

The same socio, economic and political conditions prevailed in the villages when Naxals gained foothold in the villages 20 years ago. 

Maoists are taking advantage of prevailing differences between villagers, the gap between rich and poor that has widened in the last 20 years and suppression on down trodden especially Dalits by the local land lords to get foothold in villages in the north Telangana.

The unrest among Adivasis caused by various government policies which alienating them from their ‘Jal, Jungle and Jameen’ apparently forcing some of them to tilt towards Maoists to protect their rights.

The recent non- tribals’ agitation backed by the businessmen and realtors demanding the relaxation in A.P Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation 1 of 1970 (Prohibition of Tribal Land Transfer Act which was popularly known as 1/70Act) which was a safe guard for Adivasis’ rights in Agency areas also created unrest among the Adivasis in the Adilabad district.

Imposing restrictions on Adivasis’s movements and their natural habitats in the name of tiger zones, opencast mines in Adivasi areas, displacing them on large scale from their gudems, growing dominance of the plain area Lambada Tribals and cornering all the benefits meant for the Tribals by Lambadas and planting trees under ‘Haritha Haram’ in lands being cultivated for long time by the Adivasis without conducting joint surveys by the revenue and forest departments are also causing unrest.

The unrest among the Adivasis is quite clear and they have manifested it many times through their agitations which are on the rise in the Telangana. Maoists are reentering into villages by taking up the local social issues and settling the issues in Praja Courts (Kangaroo Courts) and threatening the local land lords and suspected police informers.

The above issues had not surfaced during the Telangana agitation though they had been simmering.The issues had not been addressed by the intellectuals of the Telangana who led the agitation to keep the people united to first achieve separate Telangana state.

This situation is indirectly giving scope for Maoist to regain foothold in the villages in the Adilabad district. Some villagers have become sympathizers of Maoists to take revenge against their rival group.

There are differences among the villagers on the land and it creates two groups in the Patha Ellapur village in Khanapur mandal in the Adilabad. One group is pasted wall posters in the name of Maoists threatening the other group and to take revenge. Police arrested some of them and sent them to judicial custody few weeks ago.

Top Naxalites of that time had attacked the house of powerful landlord and Congress leader G V Pitamber Rao in Tapalpur village in Jannaram mandal which resulted in his death and also death of his two sons in subsequent attack in Nov, 1976.

Adivasis of the interior areas are in the grip of fear in Khanapur mandal in the district following the exchange of fire reportedly that took place between police and Maoists near Shetpalli forest area under Pembi police station limits in Khanapur mandal on November 18.

Tense situation is being prevailed in the Tribal areas since Maoists killed Adivasi youth Kursinge Ballal Shah, 25, of Kheriguda of Tiryani mandal accusing him of being police informer on October 30.

Bellampalli police produced the surrendered Naxaltie Chunchula Bakkanna,38, who reportedly recently rejoined the Maoists, before the Media on November 22 and announced that Bakkanna he was accused in the killing of Ballal Sha. Police took Chunchu Bakkanna into their custody who reportedly injured in exchange of fire between police and Maoists in Shetpalli in Khanapur mandal in the Adilabad.

SP Dr. Tarun Joshi said ‘there was no need for them to kill Maoists in fake encounters and showing the arrest of the Bakkanna was best example for this and alleged that some organizations making propaganda of fake encounters against police without waiting for facts.

Adivasis upset over displacement

Adivasis of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh expressed their anguish over displacing Adivaisi from their traditional habitation in the name of development and protection of forest animals by the governments.

On November 4, Addressing at a meeting at Mathadiguda in Utnoor mandal, national convenor of Adivasi Ikya Vedika Kunjam Pandu Dora of Andhra Pradesh said Adivasis Savara, Bagathas, Kondu and Kondoras are being displaced in Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakapatnam, East and West Godavari districts due to mining and promotion of tourism, Polavaram project and elephant zones in Andhra Pradesh. 

'While Chenchus in Mahaboobnagar due to Amrabad Tiger Sanctuary and Gonds and Kolam due to Tiger Reserve and opencast mines in Telangana', he observed.

He said Adivasis were under impression that state government will take steps for the development of the Adivasis in both the states after bifurcation but now they are being displaced from the forests which are their natural habitat in the name of development.

Former MLA Atram Sakku stressed upon the unity among the Adivasis of both the states to protect their rights by mounting pressure on the state governments and observed that Adivasis marginalized further in the both the states with the bifurcation.

Adivasi  Ikya Vedika Andhra Pradesh convenor Krishna Rao , Telangana convenor  Sidam Shambu, Madavi Shiva Prasad, Advocate Prabhakar,  Adivasi Vidyarti Sangham Vedma Bojju,  leaders of primitive tribal groups from both the states  also spoke.

Festivals affect Adivasi students

Adivasi children participating in Gussadi festival 

Festivals especially Diwali, proved to be a bane for Adivasi children’s education in the district.

It is found in a survey conducted by Council for Social Development (CSD) that Adivasi students are poor in their studies. Majority of Adivasis students studying in 

Tribal Ashram schools are not returning to hostels after coming home to celebrate their festivals. Adivasis celebrate Diwali for one month.    

There are incidents where students had not returned to hostels after coming to home for Pola festival.

However, it is true that active participation of the children in their festivals will certainly help in preserving their unique traditions, customers and carry forward to coming generations.

Educational experts say it is high time for the Adivasis to concentrate more on their studies at school and college level while participating in their festivities once in a while without disrupting their studies as education is the only instrument which can change their lives and give them a better life.  

Kanaka Yadavrao, district president of Adivasi JAC, said student’s attendance has fallen to 20 percent in some Tribal Ashram schools during festival seasons in tribal areas at Asifabad, Utnoor, Narnoor, Sirpur (U), Kerameri, Indravelli and some other places in the district.

He found that students who gone to their homes to celebrate Polala which fell on September 13 had not returned to hostels even after celebrating Dasara and Diwali festivals. It is almost two and half months as most of the Adivasi children interested in participating Gussadis.   

Wardens and teachers of Tribal Ashram schools have started visiting Adivasi gudems to take back students to hostels and convincing their parents to send hostels just after Diwali festival but very few students turned up to hostels.

The dropout rate is high and low pass percentage among the Adivasi students of schools and colleges in the district.

Parents are also not sending their children to schools and hostels during festival season.

Adivasis leaders expressed serious concern over poor attendance in Tribal Ashram schools and appealed to the parents not to retain their children at home.

Adivasi elders appealed to the officials of the ITDA, Utnoor to cut the holidays maximum for other festivals which are not important for the Adivasis but give at least ten days holidays for Diwali festival as it was their biggest festival and they can’t celebrate the Diwali festival especially Gussadis without their children.

Adivasis children actively participate in Gussadis and even some of them become Gussadis and visit villages along with their elders during Diwali.

R. Balaji, social researcher, Council for Social Development (CSD), who conducted survey recently in the Tribal Ashram Schools in the district, said the Adivasis children had no minimum knowledge of reading and writing and among them the standards very poor among the students of Kolams, a primitive tribal group, in the district.

‘Adivasi students are not returning to hostels for months who gone to their homes on holidays and there was lack of supervision on the students by the hostel wardens and poor attendance of the students’, observed Balaji.

Eight teams from CSD are conducting survey in the government school and hostels to assess the conditions there and educational standards in the districts.

There are as many as 113 Tribal Ashram Schools and Tribal Welfare hostels, 6 Gurukulams, 13 KGBVS, 4 mini- gurkulams and 905 Government Primary schools (PS) under Tribal Welfare in the District.      

Cold weather, fog enhance Adilabad's scenic beauty

Scenic beauty at Nirmal ghats in the Adilabad district.

Low temperatures being recorded during the winter has brought additional beauty to the Adilabad district. Often, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has described Adilabad district as Kashmir of the Telangana state.

Chilling temperatures being recorded this season in Adilabad are attracting nature lovers and tourists to the Jannaram, Utnoor, Kerameri areas and also Nirmal ghat, Kupti ghats in the Adilabad district.

These places are tourist destinations located in the forests with the low temperatures for the last few years and forest hills covered with fog is attracting visitors from all over.

The temperatures dipped to 11.4 C in Adilabad and it may further dip in the coming days. Lowest temperature is 3 C recorded during the winter season last year in the district and it was the lowest temperature recorded in the Telangana state.

Nature lovers loved feeling of the fog and chilly breeze on their skin which they experienced in the morning hours. The Sahyadri hill attracts nature lovers from Nirmal ghats, Kupti ghats and Kerameri ghats in the district.

Lowest temperatures in the state are being recorded in the forests areas of Kerameri mandal every year. The lush green volleys in the Sahyadri hills ranges during this winter  is a scenic beauty for nature lovers.

Gradually, the amenities like good accommodation are on the increase at Jannaram, Kadam, Nirmal and Adilabad as the good roads invite people to visit the places.

A French travel blogger Stephanie Langlet who recently visited the Adilabad district to cover the Gussadi festival said, ‘she was impressed greatly by the spectacular beauty of the Adilabad district. She said, the conducive weather makes it ideal to explore the district.

Injectable vaccine to replace polio drops

Injectable Polio Vaccine (injections) will replace the polio drops, as part of Pulse polio programme from April, 2016 in the country.

The injectable polio vaccine will be introduced after completing the ongoing pulse polio immunization last round programme scheduled for January 17 and February21, 2016.   

The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced Injectable polio vaccine (IPV) in place of Oral polio vaccine (OPV), for administration the children bellow  three years.

The WHO is changing the present trivalent pulse polio method to bivalent from next year by introducing polio injection.

Injectable polio vaccine (IPV) will be given to the children from three and half months old to bellow one year and it will be a onetime vaccination unlike polio drops.  

Polio injection will be given as third dose for the children who have taken polio drops in two doses earlier.

Pulse polio injection will be administered to right thigh of the children while Pentavalent injection to left thigh. The pulse polio programme has been launched in 1995. The developed countries like America has been administering OPV to  children already.

Dr Thodasam Chandu, district immunization officer, who recently attended workshop on introducing injectable polio vaccine( IPV) organized by the WHO in Hyderabad, said there would be no need of giving booster dose with if injetable polio vaccine is administered.

He said no polio case had been reported in the last four years in the country but there is every possibility of getting infected with polio virus due to immigrants from six countries where polio cases have been detected recently.

‘Each polio vaccine costs Rs 120 and the vaccine will be introduced in the country in phased manner. It may be introduced in the backward districts of Adilabad and Mahaboobnagar in the first phase in Telangana’, said Dr Chandu.

ASI's group financed Telugu film producers

Karimnagar district ASI B. Mohan Reddy and other police personnel including some police officers of Adilabad, who are facing allegations of running a finance business, also reportedly financed some Telugu film producers who recently produced films.

North zone IG Naveen Chand issued orders on Monday attaching Ganapati Jadhav, Circle inspector of Mudhole of Adilabad district to Warangal DIG. 

The decision was taken after CID in its investigation found the Ganapati Jadhav’s role in finance business and his support to prime accused Mohan Reddy while he was working as inspector of Karimnagar I- town police station. Ganapati Jadhav earlier also worked as inspector of I-town Adilabad police station.   

It is being said in Boath mandal of Adilabad district that  a police officer native of Boath who worked in Karimnagar came under the scanner of CID which is probing the finance business in Karimnagar.     

The said police officer amassed huge wealth and owns function hall, petrol bunk and recently purchased s7 acre land near NH-44 in Neredigonda mandal and financed to local Ginning factory owners and businessmen. It is said that police officer, who was associated with prime accused Mohan Reddy financed to film producers.

The said Boath police officer was popular in his native mandal and had a good network with the local businessmen and is was absconding since the issue of police giving finance at exorbitant interest and harassing the people for repayment, came to light in Karimnagar.   

A resident of Boath mandal said ‘the said police officer of Boath was popular in their mandal and was considered to be rich person. His group also financed some Telugu film producers.

It was also found that the some Karimnagar police officers who are involved in finance business used to come to Haritha Tourism Restaurant at Jannaram of Adilabad district and used to say there to settle the ‘finance matters.

Unrest over low cotton price

Irate farmers attacked Adilabad market yard office following the dip in the cotton price. Low prices of cotton produce, has been created unrest in the farming community.

MLAs and Ministers claim that 60 percent of the farmers were getting Rs 4,100 per quintal but the ground reality is quite different.

A majority of the farmers were just getting between Rs 3,500 to Rs 3,700 after deducting Rs 41 per one percent extra moisture percent than permissible 8 percent moisture content by the private traders while weighing the cotton produce.

Farmers are disappointed with low price than MSP Rs 4,100 per quintal and regretted that some of the farmers not even getting the investment cost.

It is learnt that police arrested seven farmers and two others who attacked the Adilabad market yard office two days ago and remanded them to judicial custody. The farmers arrests gave the opportunity to the opposition parties to blame the ruling party and project the government anti farmers.

But ruling TRS leaders say that it was not the farmers but Telugu Desam activists who orchestrated the attack and provoked some farmers to follow suit in the Adilabad town on November 2.

The TDP and BJP parties jointly organize maha dharna on the farmers’ problems at the Adilabad market yard on the same day.Minister Jogu Ramanna said farmers can directly come to him or officials concerned it they have any problem with regard to low prices of the cotton produce and they will take the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao and try to do justice to the farmers.

He said the incident of attacking Agriculture market yard office was not accidental by the farmers but TDP leaders behind it.

Adilabad II – town  Inspector Venkata Swamy said cases also booked against the TDP leaders for organizing the Maha dharna without taking police permission and taking out rally violating police act 30 which was in force in the Adilabad town. 

He said seven farmers and two others were arrested and remanded to the judicial custody in connection with the attack on Market yard office and there are many others to be arrested in the incident.

There are allegations that private cotton traders reduced the price to provoke the farmers on the direction of TDP and BJP leaders on the occasion of TDP dharna.

Rice not so 'fine'

Though the state government claims that fine quality rice is being supplied in the midday meal in schools and government hostels, the ground reality is different.

It is true that for the last two months since the scheme began, students were happy with the fine quality rice. But things have changed just after schools reopened.

The coarse rice instead fine quality is being supplied to the hostels and Ashram schools in interior tribal areas due to lack of supervision by the officials.

The rice becomes sticky when cooked unlike fine quality rice and students are complaining of the strong unpleasant smell. It is found that third grade rice is being supplied to the hostels and schools in the name of fine rice.

There are strong allegations that rice millers colluding with some corrupt officials indulging in the fine quality rice scheme.

However, many government teachers working in the interior areas say that ordinary rice in place of fine quality was only supplied for midday meals and hostels in interior areas like Kotapalli, Vemanpalli and Chennur mandals and also in the Agency mandals in the district.  

Doke Bheemkka, mid-day meal worker, at Jagannathpur village in Kagaznagar mandal said the rice being supplied was not tasty and emanated a foul smell, so they returned the coarse rice to the rice distribution point for exchange when students complained over the rice quality.

Another midday meal worker, Kursinga Thonebai of Gond Jhari in Kerameri mandal, said they were getting ordinary rice and there was no taste and smell that one gets from cooked rice.

S. K Sameer, studying in Class IX at the government school in the Adilabad town, the rice supplied was not as tasty (‘Khana taste Nahihai … Dal Pathla Karke Dere..) and the dal was watery.

Some of the teachers working in the tribal ashram schools in Utnoor say that the rice is becomes sticky after cooking though the rice was of fine quality and it  depends on cooking methods and cooks.

Fine quality rice is being diverted to other destinations from the stock points itself and common rice being supplied in place of fine rice.

On the other hand, the area of paddy cultivation has come down in the major rice producing district Karimnagar and Nizmabad due to prolonged drought conditions in the last four Agriculture seasons and the yield has also come down.

Some of the rice millers of Karimnagar shifted their rice mills to bordering Chattisgarh due to high rate of levy on the rice imposed by the state government.  Some of the rice millers allegedly supplied common rice procured from Maharashtra and Chattisgarh in the name of fine quality rice to the schools and hostels.     

According to official sources, fine quality rice is being supplied to 3,850 government schools where 3, 24, 490 students are studying in the district.

Adivasis caught in cop- Maoists crossfire

In the first incident of its kind in 10 years, An Adivasi was shot dead by Maoists who suspected that he was an informer for the police.

Maoists killed Adivasi Ballal Shah,25, of Kheriguda village in Tiryani mandal , a graduate , accusing him of being a police informer on Friday. The Maoists said in a letter that they had ‘warned’ him to mend his ways.

Adivasis caught in the cross fire between police and Maoists who are trying to gain the upper hand and are using the gullible Adivasis.

Both the police and Maoists are trying to lure the Adivasis for a grip on the interior Adivasi gudems. Maoists who are trying to get foothold are sending signals against those working with police.

The Maoists look to recruit the members to their outfit from Among the Adivasis while the police tries its best to lure Adivasis to strengthen their network in the interior villages.      

One police has been appointed to each village and phone numbers of the local police are written prominently on the walls in the villages to get the information about new persons entering the villages and villagers can seek the help of the police.

Police says publicizing their phone numbers was nothing but moving close to the people and extending their services to the interior villages and to create confidence among the people.

Police is also conducting sports events in the Adivasi gudems, during their festivals, distributing sports kits, providing training to the Adivasi youth for the recruitment examination of police, army recruitments and also other competitive examinations to win their hearts and wean them from the clutches of the Maoists.           

On the other hand, Maoists have started suspecting the youth using cell phones and also who frequently go to nearby towns and to police stations with any other work.           

Human Rights Forum (HRF) state secretary Atram Bhujanga Rao condemned killing of Adivasi youth and the police for luring Adivasi youth by offering inducements.

‘It was unfortunate that Adivasis have become the victims of the corrupt system and both the police and Maoists are using them as tools for their activities and in the process they are being victimized’.        

Earlier Maoists killed three persons accusing them of being police informers including Tiryani ZPTC member Hanumadla Mallaiah in 2003, Rompelli MPTC Ramchander in2004, Kirana shop owner Tirupati in Pangidi Madaram in 2005.

In 2006, Maoists killed Adivasi woman Saritha, accusing her of covert alleging that she attempted to kill Dalam members and Maoist leader Pulluriprasad Rao alias Chandranna by mixing the poison in the food on the direction of police and dumped her body on the outskirt of Asifabad. Now, Maoists killed Ballal Shah.

It may be recalled here that, Adivasis in Gatturaopalle in Kasipet mandal had detained a sub- inspector and four constables in a room in protest against the police thrashing four innocent villagers asking about the whereabouts of the Maoists and alleging that they gave food for Maoists following the incident of the exchange of fire between police Maoists in the area in July 31,2014.

Actually, local Adivasis were returning home along with empty utensils after celebrating their traditional puja to ‘Rajul devul’(traditional gods lives in jungles)  in the forest and after a community feast. 

Restoration works of tanks incomplete

Restoration works of only 10 percent tanks that comes to 67 out of total 607 have been fully completed taken up under first phase of Mission Kakatiya in the district. Restoration works of most of the tanks came to halt due to rains and contractors had not completed de-siltation works, strengthening of bund, slues works waiting for tanks receive rain water.

Contractors had submitted bills for the work which they have not done due to rains taking the advantage of the rain water in the tanks.

Government officials are not in a position to measure the works in the tanks filed with water and it was possible only after the water recedes in the next summer. At the most, officials can measures the bund works and slues works now.

The state government is taking up in completed works of earlier tanks in addition to the 600 new tanks in the second phase of mission kakatiya in the district. There are total 3,821 tanks and ponds have been identified in the districts.

Collector M. Jagan Mohan said only 10 percent of tanks out of total 607 for which got administration sanction under first phase of Mission Kakatiya have been fully completed and restoration works of majority tanks have been affected to rains in Asifabad and Adilabad divisions in the month of June,2015.

He said the incomplete tank work will be completed along with the 600 new tanks identified under second phase of Kakatiya whose works will begin from January, 2015.

State relaxes water rule for Dalit bastis

To give a boost to the Dalit Basti Scheme, the state government has relaxed the norms regarding ‘availability of water sources’ (sufficient ground water) which was must for land purchase under the scheme.

Few acres of land so far distributed to the Dalits under this scheme. The revenue officials should purchase the lands only after confirming that there was enough ground water to cultivate the land to be distributed to the Dalits.

Till date, the department of Ground Water would conduct tests on the lands to be purchased for the Dalit Basti scheme and thus many lands were rejected due to lack of ground water resulting from drought conditions in the last two years.

Collector M. Jagan Mohan said that state government has given permission to the district to purchase land without taking the ground water table into consideration as most of the crops in the district are rain fed and ground water table doesn’t make much difference in cultivating these crops.

There had been a slowdown in the implementation of the Dalit Basti Scheme for a while  as there some irregularities in purchasing land in Mancherial and Sirpur (T) Assembly Constituencies, said the collector, adding that some of the people had hiked the land price to Rs 6 lakh per acre, which was actually purchased for Rs 3 land acre, before selling to the government.

So far, 673 acre purchased at Rs 22.8 crore, has been distributed to 230 beneficiaries under Dalit Basti in the district.      

It has come to light that some government land was also purchased for the scheme as sellers and officials had colluded at some places.

Officials concerned had rejected hundreds of acres of land identified at various places based on reports given by Ground Water department, stating that there was no availability of ground water sources. Now 2,000 acre of land has become available for purchase and distribution under Dalit Basti in the Adilabad district.

The Ground Water department had cleared 1,026 acre by the end of August for purchase in the district. Most land was purchased in Jainad, Tasmi , Talamadugu, Bela, Kagaznagar, Bajarhatnoor, Kubheer, Kotapalli and Sarangapoor mandals in the district.

Dalit leaders say that state government’s decision to relaxed norms on availability of ground water to purchase lands may not be serve the real purpose of the scheme aimed to distribute 3 acre of cultivable land and taking the advantage of this officials may purchase barren lands for Dalits at cheaper prices and hike the prices on paper.    

Telangana SC Cooperative Finance Corporation vice- chairman B. Jayaraj inspected the lands purchased in Kubheer mandal for Dalit Basti and found them not useful for cultivation and also found irregularities in purchasing those lands.

Adivasis feel new districts will weaken them

The creation of new district is likely to split the Adivasis and make them further weak as the Agency areas will be disintegrated. The move may dilute constitutional safe guards to the Adivasis in scheduled areas.

Already, Adivasis are a minority in terms of population when compared to plain area tribals in the Telanagana state. Adivasis were a majority in the United Andhra Pradesh.

Adivasis have started demanding the creation of autonomous councils with Agency areas within the districts.  They are demanding the creation of a new district comprising tribal mandals with the Utnoor headquarters.

The delimitation of Assembly constituencies as part of creation of new district will be a major blow to the Adilabad and they may lose ST Assembly constituencies to general or SC. 

Already people of various parts of the district are agitating and demanding creation of new district with headquarters of Asifabad, Bellampalli, Kagaznagar, Mancherial, Utnoor and also shifting of Adilabad district headquarters to Nirmal for the existing Adilabad district.

It is learnt that some of the people are planning to launch against the creation of new district and keeping the existing district as it is.

Agency mandals Jainoor, Sirpur( U), Tiryani, Narnoor, Asifabad, Kerameri and some parts of Dandepalli may be merged with new district to be created while Utnoor and Indravelli mandals may be merged with the existing Adilabad district.

Some parts of the Khanapur Assembly constituency like Jannaram and Dandepalli may be merged with the existing Adilabad district.

Tribal population of existing Asifabad and Khanapur assembly constituencies may come down and non- tribal’s population may increase. Utnoor and Adilabad Rural Assembly constituencies may be created as part of delimitation.

Due to delimitation of Assembly constituencies, the existing Asifabad and Khanapur constituencies and Adilabad MP Constituency may lose its ST reservation. The Assembly and Parliament constituencies will be changed their reservation based on their pollution figures as part of delimitation. Non-tribals will emerge as majority in the new district, ST assembly constituencies and also in the existing district. 

Former Asifabad MLA and leader of Telangana Adivasis joint action committee Atram Sakku expressed worry over splitting Adivasis as part of creation of new districts and also delimitation of Assembly constituencies in Khammam, Adilabad and Warangal in the state. He said creation of new districts and delimitation of constituencies will further weak Adivasis in the Telangana.