In AP's 'lost' villages, tribals seek recognition

Visakhapatnam: Tribals of Pasuvulabanda and Jeelulova villages on the V Madugula-Ravikamatam border held a half-naked protest against the district administration on Monday by covering themselves with only ‘addakulu’ leaves, demanding that the state government recognise their rights and extend welfare schemes to them.

The tribal residents of both villages have lived on the land for five decades, but have neither Aadhaar nor voter cards that would make them eligible for government benefits. Nor does the revenue department have records of these villages. Till 2011, both villages fell under the limits of Ravikamatam mandal but were later removed. Children here do not have birth certificates.

“We don’t know which panchayat and mandal our villages fall under. Though the government recognised our villages and provided pattas under the Forest Rights Act in 2009, no officer provided any benefit to us,” said K Ghasi, a tribal.

Sources say 18 families, including 18 children, of the Kondu tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), have been residing in both hamlets for the past 50 years, six kilometres from the Kalyanapulova reservoir. Repeated requests for welfare benefits , they said, have fallen on deaf ears.

At Monday’s protest, tribals warned that if the district administration failed to recognise the villages and extend government welfare schemes to them, they would stage a protest at the district collectorate on June 8 in traditional tribal attire.