People in Pinapaka mandal caught between devil, deep blue sea

Hyderabad: People belonging to Backward Classes in several villages under Pinapaka mandal and its surrounding areas in Khammam district feel that they are forced to live in a “no man’s land” and are now making rounds in the State secretariat. Speaking to The Hans India on Thursday, the villagers explained that how they were forced by successive governments to live in a “no man’s land.”

Kannamma from Bhattupalli village claims that she and her family members have been living in the area for more than 25 years. She said they had been doing cultivation in the government wasteland. But, the area falls under Act 1 of 70 that prohibits non-tribal people taking up any agriculture activity. “So, the lands in which we have been doing cultivation has been taken away,” she said.

Located in about 120 km north of the district headquarters, Bhattupalli is a small hamlet with around 400 houses. It has a population of around 15,000 people. Nearly 25 per cent of the village population of Bhattupalli is reportedly belonging to Backward classes, and they have been living there for over several decades.

But, from the view point of Netas they are there only to vote during elections. And, for officials, they are an unwanted lot there, said Saraswathi. “It is not only in Bhattupalli, but in several other hamlets and villages around the fate of BCs remained the same, she said.

Reeling out the problems being faced by the people, the womenfolk said, “We are at the receiving end when it comes to the education of our children. We are poor and fit into the government’s criteria to avail several schemes. Yet, we are not granted any pensions or other benefits,” she said. When asked how she can claim as the area that they are living falls under Act 1 of 70, she countered the same saying “We know we have been treated being unwanted.”

We know we cannot have any permanent house here. But, we are poor, and we don’t know any other place to go, and eke a living there,” she added with tearful eyes. Even schemes like sheep breeding, small dairy and few others offered as part of encouraging rural economy too were not granted to these people. Srilakshmi, who is graduate said, “I am born, brought up and studied in my village.

Yet, I am not eligible even to appear for a DSC examination. The whole issue was that while the local politicians discriminate against us, the babus and big netas never bother about us. As there is no other alternative to go, we are stuck here, remain discriminated, unwanted and looked down,” she said.

When Ambamma and her family dug a bore well to water the lands that they were cultivating, the Forest Department people had come and filled the well with rocks, warning that they had no right to do so on a forest land.

“Despite the fact that we have been cultivating this patch for more than 35 years,” he complained. As there is not possibility of getting any help either from officials or local politicians, including the local MLA, we have come here to meet the KCR Sir, to express our woes and to seek his help, said another woman.

By:VRC Phaniharan