Except for voting rights, Tribals have no other rights in Telangana: Bhatti Vikramarka

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress Legislature Party leader Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday alleged that Tribals in Telangana have been stripped of their rights except for the right to vote.

He was addressing a press conference in Rebbena, Asifabad Constituency, on Monday to mark the completion of 170 kilometres of his People's March as part of Haath Se Haath Jodo Yatra. During the last 12 days, Bhatti Vikarmarka has covered parts of Adilabad, Nirmal and Kommaram Bhim Asifabad district and now his padayatra would enter the Mancherial District.

Vikramarka highlighted the plight of tribals in Adilabad Agency villages, who have been stripped of their rights except for the right to vote. He accused the TRS government of destroying Congress government schemes that would have provided more financial resources to the people in the region, resulting in a negative impact on the local communities.

Bhatti Vikramarka said that the local people were not getting any benefits such as ration cards, pensions, pattas, jobs, health or water for irrigation. He said that the situation of common people, especially the Tribals have worsened during the last nine years.

He accused the KCR Govt of depriving the tribals of resources by removing them from the forest in the erstwhile undivided Adilabad district. He also noted the abolishment of the Assigning Committee system established during the Congress period, which aimed to distribute government land to the poor and tribals annually. He said the local MLA used to be the Chairman of those Assigning Committees. However, the entire system has been scrapped by the BRS Govt.

Bhatti Vikramarka said that the Congress party created Telangana to bring prosperity to the people of the state by allocating natural resources like jobs, funds, and water to them. However, he said the Chandrashekhar Rao government has been an obstacle in delivering these resources for nine years. He also pointed out that despite opposing open mining during the Telangana movement, Chandrashekhar Rao allowed the practice to continue, awarding contracts to companies like GLR from Andhra.

He expressed disappointment over the lack of employment opportunities for locals in the coal mining sector. He criticized the exploitation of Telangana's wealth and resources by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and the companies of "Andhra Babus". He said the Telangana statehood agitation was all about getting freedom from the clutches of Andhra contractors to end exploitation. However, he alleged that CM KCR, who had promised to stop open cast mining, was handing over Telangana's wealth to Andhra companies instead of Singareni Collieries. He demanded that 80% of employment in the coal sector must be reserved for locals.

He said that 64 small and medium irrigation projects in the district were not constructed or repaired even after nine years. He stated that Congress had approved several irrigation projects in the united Adilabad district which were to be completed by 2014, but the BRS Govt neglected them.

He also described the Kaleshwaram project and Bhagiratha Mission as huge scams. He said Mission Bhagirathat was a Rs 42,000 crore scam of BRS Govt. He said only pipelines were laid and water supply through tap was not provided to the citizens. Similarly, he said the Kaleshwaram Project was executive by redesigning the Pranahita Chevella projects. He said the original cost of the Tummadihati barrage with a height of 152 metres was about Rs. 38,000 crores and almost Rs. 10,000 crores were already spent. He said the entire project could have been completed for free by the State Govt by forcing the Centre to grant National Status. However, he said KCR re-designed the project and wanted Rs. 1.25 lakh crore of public money.

During the Padayatra, the CLP leader said he had received complaints from all sections of society regarding issues such as the lack of ration cards, stipends, land leases, and agricultural loan waivers. He expressed concern over farmers being forced to take loans from moneylenders at high-interest rates due to banks not providing new loans. They have been evicted from forests and the Dharani portal deprived them of the ownership rights over land which they possessed for generations.

He asked the people of the erstwhile Adilabad district to do a serious introspection on what they gained or lost in the last nine years. He said that the exploitation of Andhra's contractors was still on and today they are having control over the maximum projects and other resources of Telangana. He said KCR Govt promises to give 3 acres of land to poor Dalit families. The Girijans, Adivasis and Tribals have been stripped of their rights over forests. The ITDAs have been finished and all these areas are in a state of neglect, he said.

Vikramarka condemned the alleged involvement of BRS MLA K. Kavita and Aam Aadmi Party leaders in the Delhi liquor case, stating that their actions brought shame to the people of Telangana.

He also condemned Minister Indrakaran Reddy for describing the paper leak of TSPSC exams as 'routine'. He said that the paper leak should have led to the rolling of heads in all departments up to the minister level. However, under the KCR regime, a responsible minister publicly says that paper leak is a common thing. This is highly condemnable, he said.

The CLP leader also condemned the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha and called the move an attack on Indian democracy and the Constitution.

Vikramarka expressed confidence that the Congress party would win the next Assembly elections and all seats in the Asifabad District.