POLEPALLY 13.......................DISSENT AGAINST SEZ

13 cultivators contested polls to demonstrate their resentment at acquisition of their land by the government

C R Sukumar

Hyderabad: Mala Jangilamma is happy.

The 62-year-old and 12 other farmers who contested the recently held Jadcherla assembly by-elections lost so badly that they forfeited their security deposits. So, why is she so happy?

Jangilamma, Etti Peda Pentaiah, Depalli Yadaiah, Bandapalli Jangamma, Kanduru Mogulaiah, Kanduru Jangaiah and others lost the meagre land they owned — two to eight acres each — to make way for a special economic zone, or SEZ. “Victory or defeat was not the issue. I am elated we could draw the attention of people across the state to our struggle against the SEZ,” says Jangilamma.

Earthy demands: Mala Jangilamma, who contested the elections, was one among the 350 families that have demanded their lands back.

The Andhra Pradesh government acquired 7.3 acres she owned in Polepally in Mahbubnagar district, which is part of the Jadcherla assembly constituency, to build an SEZ.

Jangilamma now works as a construction worker for Rs120 a day on the the same land where Hetero Drugs Ltd, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm is building a factory.

The farmers say the government has short-changed them, and want their land back. They say they got between Rs18,000 and Rs50,000 for an acre for land that is available in the market for about Rs20 lakh per acre.

The government acquired close to 1,000 acres from about 350 families, who were marginal and small farmers belonging to Dalit, backward and tribal communities. Since their protests fell on deaf ears, 13 of them decided to contest the polls under the banner of Polepally SEZ Vyathireka Ikya Sanghatana (Alliance against Polepally SEZ, or PSVIS), to draw attention to their battle against what they say is a grave injustice.

“We did not receive even half of the compensation that the government announced. Officials at every level from the village to the district took commissions (bribes), and we ended up with paltry amounts,” says Depalli Yadaiah, whose family lost five acres. Yadaiah now works as a mason at construction sites.

“We used to cultivate dry crops such as maize, wheat, pulses and oilseeds in our one acre of land. For other essentials, we used to do labour occasionally,” says Etti Lingaiah, another farmer whose family lost four acres of land. “Since we don’t have land anymore, we now are compelled to work as labourers throughout the year.”

Why field 13, when just one representative would have sufficed?

“We had, in fact, initially thought we will field 150 farmers, but we couldn’t collect the Rs7.5 lakh required for security deposits,” says Madhu Kagula, social activist and convenor of PSVIS, arguing that they knew they could not defeat the candidates of established political parties, and this was their way of registering protest.

“Ever since we announced our decision to contest the elections, leaders of key political parties threatened us. Even election commission officials harassed us by slapping notices on us for not submitting the details of our poll expenditure,” says Etti Srinivasulu, another of the 13.

While political party candidates said they spend a couple of lakhs each to campaign for the elections, the farmers say they collectively spent Rs1.58 lakh that includes the aggregate security deposit of Rs65,000. “We are now left with loans of around Rs78,500,” says Kagula.

In 2003, a government led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had acquired the land in Polepally through the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corp. (APIIC) for industrialization, but it was during the tenure of a Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) legislator that a Congress party-led state government allocated the land to an SEZ. The farmers are, thus, against all these parties.

They demand that the state hand back their land. “We are willing to give back whatever compensation we received,” said Etti Peda Pentaiah.

Currently, construction works have been taken up in around 100 acres of the 1,000 acres the government has acquired for the SEZ.

“We want the government to give back the balance 900 acres to the farmers and extend better compensation package to them,” says Kagula. “Let APIIC pay to farmers the difference between the cost of acquisition of land from farmers and the cost at which the land was sold to the companies in the SEZ,” he added.

The Jadcherla assembly seat fell vacant after 17 MLAs and four MPs of TRS resigned, saying the ensuring by-elections would be a referendum on their demand for a separate Telengana state in northern Andhra Pradesh.

The sitting TRS MLA lost the polls by a margin of more than 24,000 votes, coming third after Erra Shankar of the TDP, who lost by 2,106 votes. Mallu Ravi of the Congress party won the seat.

Jangilamma polled 1,771 votes, or 3.92% of what Ravi polled. The 13 farmers collectively secured 8,600 votes.

source:TELANGANA UTSAV

Loss of opportunity: Chenchu children whiling away their time instead of going to a school meant for them near Nagarjunasagar in Guntur district.
ETHIPOTHALA (Guntur dt.) :
Even while schools in other places face perennial scarcity of funds and poor infrastructure with classrooms filled to the brim, it is the other way round in the land of the primitive tribal group Chenchus.
To say there are more well-constructed ashram schools with staff quarters than the number of Chenchu children going into them is an understatement if takes their headcount in classrooms.
The upper primary residential school managed by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Srisailam, for the Chenchus here, is a typical example. The sanctioned strength of the school is 400 and the fund flow and staffing pattern is in tune with it. But the attendance on Tuesday was 180 and the number of Chenchus stood at a mere 39 spread across classes I to VII. No class had more than five Chenchus. Others who made up for "lack of strength" included advanced tribals like Lambadas and a few Dalits.
Same is the case in B.K.V. Palem residential primary school near Nagarjuna Sagar dam. Of the 44, only 20 attended on Tuesday and the Chenchus accounted for only four. The scene repeated in the schools at neighbouring Murikimalla, BMC Colony, Peddmanthanala in Prakasam district.
Like most other benefits that do not reach them, it is clear that the schools meant for a primitive tribal group fighting disease and deprivation are used and abused by others. No effort is made to counsel and motivate Chenchu parents. Headmasters and teachers in charge of this task play the blame game. "We persuade but they do not come," was the refrain of the teachers.
A sinister design looks apparent. Cement concrete residential school buildings are constructed without any homework, as every new project brings a lot of money that could be shared in terms of percentages. Once built, more funds come their way for the upkeep of buildings, food, uniforms and books for Chenchu children. So, wonderful buildings abound but there are not many Chenchus. The trick is simple ? blame the Chenchus' so-called disinclination to study, admit others in their place and fudge the attendance registers.
"Much like the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) method used for big infrastructure projects, a system is in operation here. Buildings come up where there are no Chenchus. Where there are Chenchus there are no schools. And where there are schools there are no teachers. There is a mismatch and it serves the purpose of officials out to make money in the name of Chenchus. A thorough re-assessment is required," says Sambasiva Rao of Banjara Development Society, a NGO working among Chenchus.

Source:K.Venkateshwarulu, the Hindu

THE REAL FACE OF BASTAR DUSSERA .2007

The Bastar Dussera that attracts hundreds of tourists from all over was this year celebrated with 'borrowed' funds.It is a shame, that for a government that otherwise claims to promote tourism and culture failed to provide funds on time for this important event.

Dussera in Bastar is celebrated in respect of Danteshwari Mai, the presiding diety.A sum of about 20 lakh is sanctioned evry year for this festival.. which the Dussera committee spends on goats for sacrifice, food items, grocery, crackers, liquour and other requirements.This year too these items were obtained , but on credit.....Apparently not a single rupee has reached the committee from the Govt. as a result of which they had to make do with the Collector's funds.

The Manjhis will leave for their villages on 27 th, by which time they hope to get their stipulated allowance of 6000rs. Even the goats worth one and half lakh ruppees that were sacrificed during the Dussera period were bought on a credit of 50,000rs!!!

The Muriya Durbar that is supposedly a connection between the villagers and the state has also become a platform for netas now..Only four Manjhis out of 70 got to speak for 13 minutes in the allotted 3hrs, where rest of the time was hogged by our politicians....A very shameful state of affairs!

Considered as a state festival, was this their best ?

source: dainik bhaskar

JUST SEVEN WILD BUFFALOES LEFT....

By Sanjeeb Baruah, Raipur, Sep 18: Chhattisgarh's state animal, thewild buffalo, is on its last legs. Only seven of the animals areregistered in the official records, and authorities are now thinkingof implementing drastic conservation measures.

The Udanti and Indravati wildlife sanctuaries in the state are theonly places in central India where genetically 'pure' wild buffaloes(bos bubalis) are to be found.Though some wild buffaloes are also found in Assam, Arunachal Pradeshand Meghalaya, it is not known how 'pure' they are genetically.

Wild buffaloes have become rare across India due to crossbreeding withdomestic buffaloes.Incidentally, despite the wild buffalo being the state animal, there are no previous records about its population figures. The first censuswas carried out this year.

Another sanctuary in Chhattisgarh known to have been home to the animals was Pamed, but there are no wild buffaloes left there."The matter is very serious. We have to start something soon," saidR.N. Mishra, principal chief conservator of forests.The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is to submit a report to thegovernment on the conservation measures being taken up."WTI has lined up a number of activities. These will be sent to thegovernment for approval. The forest department will initiate the work once it is approved," Rahul Kaul of WTI told IANS.Of the seven wild buffaloes in Udanti, only one is female."We need to take urgent steps to protect them since they are in verysmall numbers and may quickly become extinct," warned Prabal Sarkar ofWTI.He pointed out that population studies were never conducted at theforests in Indravati due to fear of attacks by Maoists. So it is notknown if there are any wild buffaloes there, but officials say thepossibility is highly unlikely."We brought the female buffalo and her calf to an enclosure inside theUdanti forests since we are planning to involve her in a captivebreeding programme after the calf stops drinking milk," said Mishra,the project supervisor."Each (conservation) activity will have a different timeline; somewill be completed early, while some over a longer period," Kaul added."Cattle grazing, encroachments, loss of natural water sources andfrequent forest fires have affected the habitat, leading to theirdecline," Mishra said.

"Hunting for meat by the locals has alsolowered their population."A state wildlife advisory board meeting was held last week and a plan to conserve wild buffaloes was discussed. The state forest minister,officials and conservation organisations attended the meet.Measures high on the agenda are: conduct a genetic study of wildbuffaloes, restrict domestic buffaloes in the sanctuaries, getadditional manpower to undertake conservation, and study the conditionof the animal's habitat.

Praveen Manikpuri