The Andhra Pradesh Girijana Sangham staged a protest at Srikakulam Collector’s office on Monday demanding that the government set up an Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) to implement welfare and development schemes for tribal people.
Association leaders Nimmaka Appanna, B. Rishi and others said that ITDA-Sithampet, which was originally in Srikakulam district, now came under the jurisdiction of Parvatipuram-Manyam district with the formation of new districts. Mr. Appanna said that tribal people in the district were denied special grants in the absence of exclusive ITDA.
He sought the inclusion of non-scheduled areas into tribal areas’ list to extend all the benefits to the people living in those non-scheduled villages. “As per the previous government orders, the villages where more than 50% population belonged to tribal people have to be kept in scheduled areas. The lands should not be sold to non-tribals in those areas. We also insist that the government to stop illegal land transactions and encroachments,” he added.
