Officials sceptical over districts before Dasara

Top district officials are sceptical about the creation of new districts by the state government in next three months.

The officials strongly believe that creation of new districts not an easy task and it needs a lot of procedure and time.

It is said that new districts may not be announced on Dasara festival. Top officials feel that state government is trying to generate revenue through land registrations by creating hype on new districts as it is facing a shortage of funds. 

A senior district officer said they too were in a state of confusion over creating new districts and just simply following the instructions from state government without going to rationality behind creating some new districts.  

Adilabad Zilla Parirakshana Committee feels that state government is deliberately creating real estate boom in the name of creating new districts and serving the interests of the few political leaders and some communities.

Land transactions are high these days in Nirmal and Mancherial to be created as new districts. Land prices also increased many folds in and around Nirmal town since news floated that Nirmal is under consideration of the state government for a new district. 

Land prices raised many folds in and around the Mancherial since the state government has announced that Mancherial will be created as a new district.

Top officials are saying that state government is doing a futile exercise by announcing few places as new district though there was no demand for such thing. Adivasis are not happy with the way the state government is creating the new districts without conducting a scientific survey.

People of Adilabad districts had many doubts on the demand for Nirmal district that came up suddenly without anybody’s demand and political leaders who lobbied for the Nirmal district when there was no such demand from the local public. Adivasi leaders are now questioning the logic behind creating Nirmal district while rejecting the Tribal district.

The creation of Nirmal and Mancherial has raised many issues including persons owned lands in and around these towns, control over the real estate business and communities benefiting more out of creating these two districts.

Questions are also raised what is need of creating new districts with just 50 km radius in the wake of improved road connectivity, communication technology and government talking much about online services. 

Some people feel the need of the hour is creating infrastructure and facilities for the employees at work place and addressing the peoples’ problems without much delay.

Street food causing illness, deaths

Adivasis buying roadside food items at Jainoor in Adilabad district

Street food has become a cause for concern as far as Adivasi's deaths are concerned in the district.

Adivasis have been falling sick after eating roadside food or prepared in unhygienic conditions and with spurious ingredients. 

Food poisoning and jaundice deaths are on the rise in the tribal areas especially during a rainy season in the district.

There are no checks by the food inspectors on food items sold at hotels and roadside, mutton and chicken markets and spurious edible oils sell by the businesspersons in the agency areas.

It is open secret that shop owners sell adulterated edible oils in the agency areas and Narnoor, Sirpur (U), Jainoor ,  Kerameri, Indravelli, Utnoor , Asifabad, Wankidi and most of the gullible Adivasis purchase these adulterated oils without knowing the implication and their impact on their health.

Even, today shop owners sell loose edible oil in the agency areas on which a ban was imposed by the government.

Medical experts say that most of the Adivasis fall sick after eating the street food  in the monsoon e eating road food their favorites being bajji, khara mixture, Jilebi. Little attention is paid to the cooking methods, surroundings or ingredients.

There are strong allegations that food inspectors take bribes from the owners of these hotels and also roadside vendors and turn blind eye to the effects of the food items.

Adivasis buy these food items on the weekly shandies and parents eat these items at hotels and take them to their children. Students studying in Ashram schools are  also falling sick after eating  street food.

According to official sources, two deaths took place due to fever with jaundice and three deaths are due to food poisoning in tribal areas in 2016.

Additional DMHO (Agency) T. Prabhakar Reddy said food poisoning cases are increasing in the tribal areas and tribal should avoid eating street food, especially during the rainy season.

Adivasis to show cultural unity

Adivasis of Adilabad district are going to showcase their culture and traditions united on a big scale soon and this would be their last event before the formation of the new district.

Adivasis are being divided into Adilabad, Nirmal, and Mancherial districts. They have been agitating demanding the state government to create a tribal district with Utnoor headquarters consisting 13 tribal mandals to protect their culture and rights but in vain.   

The ITDA is conducting Girijana Samskritika Sammelan first of its kind to exhibit folk arts of various groups of tribals at Kumram Bheem complex on September 16 and 17 in Utnoor.

The Gond, Kolam, Thoti, Pardhan, Mannewar, Naikpod, and Lambadas will perform their  cultural programmes exhibiting their unique set of culture and traditions during the Sammelan.

ITDA, Utnoor project officer R.V Karnan said various tribal groups including primitive tribals would display their unique traditions, customs, art forms and gods and added that the event was intended to bring all the tribal cultures and art forms at one platform.

The programme was also aimed to make the new generation familiar with their tradition and customs and gods and to protect the Adivasis culture which is gradually disappearing with the influence of the modernity.   

Cultural groups comprising each 50 persons will be formed from each Tribal group and perform their art forms during the event. In charges will take care of their   respective cultural group.

According to official sources, tribals will take out a massive rally in the Utnoor town displaying their folk art forms on September 16 and cultural events will take place the next day.   

Mancherial district prone to pollution by opencast mines

Srirampur opencast mine in Adilabad

The new district Mancherial is more prone to pollution due to opencast mines and industries of ceramic in the area.

The soil removed from opencast mines piled up at various places in the coal belt areas and causing health problems in Srirampur, Mancherial, Mandamarri , Kasipet, Thandur, Rebbena and Goleti areas under all the five opencast mines which are now part of Mancherial district to be named after Adivasi legendary Kumram Bheem.

The opencast mines Srirampur, Ramakrishnapur, Dorli I and II, Khairiguda are functional. New opencast mine Kalyanikhani at Erraguntapalle in Manadamarri was proposed.

Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has conducted surveys for new opencast mines at various places in Asifabad and Sirpur (T) Assembly constituencies. Singareni is planning to establish opencast mines near Movvad and Jodeghat area.    

    

On the other hand, coal ash emerges as a by-product of the thermal power project established at Jaipur mandal in the Mancherial district being created.

A large number of people have already suffered from respiratory health problems including asthma and lung problems with the existing opencast mines. The Singareni is planning new opencast mines in the area which comes under the Mancherial district.

The temperatures are high in the coal belt area as the coal gets heat during the summer and people experience highest temperatures.

Comparatively, the temperatures are low in Adilabad and Nirmal with the huge forest cover and no opencast mines and industries emanate pollution. These two places are now being carved out as new districts.

Villagers of Erraguntapalle have been agitating for long time opposing the opencast mining coming up in their village in Mandamarri.

One can see the piled up soil looks like hills causing pollution in the area and opencast mines resulted in the drastic fall in the ground water, sinking tanks, hitting the agriculture, drinking water problem and losing fertile agriculture lands in addition to the health problems.

The opencast mines also cause displacement of Adivasis from their traditional habitat that is forest areas and creates unrest among them by making them laborers.

Haritha Haram: Only 40 pc saplings survived

The Telangana governments’ ambitious Telanganaku Harita Haram has been a big show off by the political leaders and the officials what with none showing interest in protecting the planted saplings. 

The officials and elected representatives showed more interest in planting saplings and not in ensuring their growth.

It is found that not even 40 percent saplings have survived under Haritha Haram. Officials say that the incessant rains hit the Haritha Haram in the district.

There was a shortage of saplings to supply for planting and majority of the saplings have not grown to the minimum level needed to plant them. The district administration has struggled to plant nearly 1.36 crore sapling before the August 15 in the district.

Only 2.86 crore saplings, of a target of 4.22 crore, have been planted so far in the district and the remaining 1.36 crore saplings would be planted before the August15. 

Participating in the video conference with the Chief secretary Rajiv Sharma, collector M. Jagan Mohan said they have fixed tree guards to only 2.8 crore saplings out 2.86 crore saplings planted and they have sent proposals to the state government for sanctioning Rs 15.36 crore for tree guard to the remaining saplings.  

The collector said the incessant rains affected planting saplings under Haritha Haram and added that they were making serious efforts to achieve the target.

The district administration is trying to supply 1 crore stumps of various including teak trees due to unavailability of saplings in the plantations and also 7 lakh saplings of fruits to the people to plant them in their areas.

District administration is also trying to replace the dried up saplings with the fresh ones across the district. Efforts are on to purchase tree guard costing Rs 85 from Nagapur.

Committees have been formed with the officials concerned at mandal level to assess the survival rate of the saplings planted under Haritha Haram so that they assess the real picture of the success of the scheme.

TNGOs rededicate to TS

Members of the TNGOs would rededicate themselves to the reconstruction of the Telangana state by taking inspiration from 42-day Sakalajanula Samme.

They will organize a massive public meeting in Hyderabad on September13 in Hyderabad marking the occasion of entering into 70 years. The TNGO was established in 1946.  

The TNGOs leaders and members feel that they got benefits in the new state and it is high time for them to render extra service to the people.  

It is learnt that the members of TNGOs are going to take an oath to work two hours extra to render services to the people as part of participating in the reconstruction of Telangana state and cooperate with the state government in the wake of the creation of new districts. The TNGO leaders chalked out various programme including workshops, lectures by eminent personalities.

Speaking to this newspaper, TNGOs honorary president G. Devi Prasad said they documenting the historical contributions and agitations led by the TNGO leaders and their achievement and failures in the last 60 years. He said they would bring out a book and documentary on the TNGO’s history.

He analyzed that the 42- day Sakalajanula Samme by the people of various sections including government employees played a key role in mounting pressure on then Central government by the Congress party to carve out separate Telangana state.

He said October 24 is also important in the Telangana agitation as the Sakala Janula Samme called off with the assurance by the state government on the Telangana state. G. Deviprasad said the members of TNGOs will take an oath to take two hours extra to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the Telangana and this is very in need in the wake of the creation of new districts.    

He analyzed that then Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement on creation of Telangana state on December 9 was crucial in the Telangana agitation and it gave hope to the people of the Telangana. The TNGO is going to celebrate all these important days in the next four months. 

The TNGO was formed on August 20, 1946, and more than 20 leaders served as presidents of this organization till now and two of its presidents were dismissed from the service on the charges of anti-government and supporting the separate Telangana agitation.

TNGO’s state president Karam Ravinder Reddy said the state government led by them Kasu Brahmananda Reddy banned the organization and imposed a restriction on its activities during 1968 and 69 and above 1,000 members were put in Warangal jail and were released after negotiations with them, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. 

Smaller districts to hit Maoist activities hard

The creation of new districts is likely to hit the Maoists activities in the north Telangana. 

With the sufficient force, advanced technology and well-connected informant network, police will be more vigilant on the movements of the Maoists in the smaller districts.  

With the decentralization of Administration, it is easy to focus more on curbing the Maoist activities. New divisions also being created in the stronghold of the Maoists in the districts.      

It is surprising to note that the state government is dividing the existing districts which were once a stronghold of Maoists like Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Khammam. It is being viewed as the creation of new districts will push the Maoist further to the corners on the river Pranahitha and the Godavari.

Adilabad district is being divided into Nirmal, Adilabad, and Mancherial, Karimnagar district into Peddapalli, Jagtiyal, Karimnagar and Warangal into Hanamkonda, Warangal, Bhoopalapalli and Mahaboobabad and Khammam into Kothagudem and Khammam districts.

The Maoists activities have already confined to the borders of the rivers Pranahitha and Godavari for sometimes as the state government is taking security measures to control the Maoist activities along the borders of these districts sharing borders with Maharashtra and Chattisgarh states.

Telangana government has launched joint operations against the Maoists with coordination of police of bordering states.

Nayeem threatened me : MLC Raj Gopal

MLC K. Raj Gopal Reddy of Congress on Tuesday said that the gangster Nayeem threatened to kill him if he did not withdraw from MLC elections. He did this at the behest of the TRS, Mr. Reddy said.

The MLC said he did yield to Nayeem’s pressure and won the election with 200 vote majority.

He alleged that 90 percent TRS leaders have links with the Nayeem in the Nalgonda and that they were involved in land settlements as it helped them earn cores of rupees.

He demanded the state government should hand over the investigation into Nayees’s case to the CBI. Raj Gopal Reddy was addressing at Rythu Garjana in the Adilabad town.

K. Raj Gopal Reddy also said that Nayeem threatened him to when he contested as MP from the Bhongir Parliament constituency and felt RTRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao should not threaten the leaders to make them fall in line.He made it clear that he will continue in the Congress party for ever.

The MLC sad he would continue in the Congress party forever and appealed to the  Congress party high command to encourage the young leader in the party. He said  all the party leaders in Nalgonda are working in coordination with the Uttam Kumar reddy and Jana Reddy, setting aside the differences among them. He said they had utmost respect to the senior leaders in the party.

Former MP Madhu Yashki Goud alleged that Nayeem was eliminated by ruling TRS government as the former was involved in the land settlements of Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha, who is also the Chief Minister’s daughter. He said the majority of the crimes which Nayeem committed were done the behest of the political leader's various parties.    

Mr. Goud alleged that both minister Allola Indrakaran Reddy and Jogu Ramanna amassed crores of rupees in the name of irrigation projects and government schemes. 

Jana Gana Mana in 25 crore voices

Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar said as many as 25 crore students of schools and colleges will sing national anthem simultaneously at 11 am across the country on August 23.

He was addressing at gathering at historical Jodeghat in the Adilabad district as part of ‘Azaadi 70 Saal’ marking the completion of 69 years of Indian independence. 

Mr. Javadekar said the Cental government led by the BJP would fulfill the aspirations of the Adivasi legendary Kumram Bheem who fought against  Nizam forces for Jal Jangal and Jameen and self- rule.

He said soon they are going to distribute Rs 42,000 crore special funds lying in the banks among the states under CAMPA for the afforestation programs like Haritha Haram. Haritha Haram is being implemented by the Telangana government as increasing forest cover is necessary for even tribals as they get livelihood through minor forest produce. 

Javadekar said soon will issue rights certificates to the lands being cultivated for a long time by the tribals in the country.   

He added that one should remember the sacrifices of the people who laid down their lives to make the country independent  and a Central government deeply respect Adivasi legendary Kumram Bheem and his sacrifices. He said there is also Bheem in Pancha Padavas in the Indian mythology like Bheem Rao Ambedkar and Kumram Bheem and country people should respect them.

Javadekar expressed happiness over all the public representatives and Adivasi leaders demanding to establish education institutions in the Adilabad and it indicates a change in people’s thinking and priority being given to the education. Javadekar paid rich tributes to the Kumram Bheem and felicitated the latter’s family members. 

KTR's mission : Banners, posters banned

Banners and posters with the photographs of political parties including Minister K.T Rama Rao and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao were removed to clean up the Adilabad town and make it banners -free. 

It is learnt that this is going on in all the municipalities of the state.

The municipal officials embarked on the move on the instructions of none other than Municipal Administration and Urban development Minister K. T. Rama Rao. 

The Municipal authorities also going to impose a ban on using plastic covers will impose fine Rs 50,000 on the banners if anybody puts up at the roadside without permission.

Adilabad municipal chairperson Rangineni Manisha held a meeting with the local businesspersons and asked them not to use the plastic covers instead carry bags made of paper and cloth.

Municipal staff who removed the banners said ‘It was surprising to see that there are more banners and posters of ruling TRS and these were put up by the fans and associates welcoming their leaders and expressing wishes to their leaders.

The municipal staff has been removing banners and Advertising plastic billboards tied to the electricity poles and many of them have been removed from collectorate, NTR chowk and Ambedkar chowk and on the road leads to district court under Adilabad Municipality. 

It seems that preventing the use of plastic covers is not so easy and futile efforts were made for the same in the past too.

It is learnt that, in a meeting held recently, Municipal Administration Minister K. T Rama Rao had communicated to all the municipal authorities even remove the banners carrying his photographs too and make the municipalities banner free.

It is observed that the indiscriminate use of plastic covers poses a threat to the environment as most of the plastic covers being sold in the market are not biodegradable.