Girijans affected as ITDA posts remain vacant

Utnoor: With the posts of ITDA Project Officer, Special Deputy Collector (SDC)Special Deputy Collector and RWS chief lying vacant, the interests of the tribal community in the districts of Adilabad, Kumrambheem, Mancheriyal and Nirmal are getting affected due to lack of proper supervision in taking care of their needs.

With the heads of departments missing, there is none whom the tribals can submit representations highlighting their grievances. As a result, they are being forced to retrace their steps back to villages after approaching the four offices, point out Girijan leaders Vedma Bojja, Rama Rao and Jaiwanth Rao.

They told The Hans India that with in-charges holding the posts, implementation of the welfare schemes for the benefit of tribals is getting severely affected.

The leaders are angry with the TRS government for failing to appoint officers with commitment to oversee the uplift of the poor and ill-informed girijans.

They refer the important post of ITDA Project Officer who oversees crucial subjects like education, health, employment and creation of basic amenities. Mancherial Collector R V Karnan is discharging the duty of in-charge ITDA PO.

Previously, he was the PO.Following the re-organisation of the district, he was transferred as Collector. Since then, none has been appointed in his place.

According to the Girijan leaders, the non-appointment of regular top officials is severely impacting the works being taken up by both the Central and the State governments meant for the welfare of tribals. Consequently the problems are piling up.

Thus they are being denied the benefit of the welfare measures, they lamented.The leaders point out that, with the shifting of the top ITDA officials as a follow-up action to the re-organisation of the TS districts, the posts are lying vacant.

As a result, those holding additional charge of the vacant posts are being entrusted with the task of performing two or three different jobs. This is resulting in delayed solutions to the Girijan problems, besides causing stress to those holding the additional charge.

The leaders are demanding immediate filling of the top ITDA posts.A case in point is the post of ITDA Special Deputy Collector, who is entrusted with the crucial task of solving land-related issues of Girijans.

RDO Ilaiah was holding the post. The SDC’s post is lying vacant since his retirement.None has been appointed so far. This is having a seriously affecting the land problems in the agency areas.

Also the post of ITDA DEO, who oversees the functioning of 902 Girijan schools, has remained unfilled for the last two years. This is depriving basic education facilities to tribal children at the initial stage itself.