Give permission for laying of roads to hilltop hamlets in ASR district, Andhra Pradesh ST Commission tells Forest Department officials

Andhra Pradesh ST Commission Chairman urges Forest Department to grant road permission for tribal hamlets in ASR district.

Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Scheduled Tribes Chairman D.V.G. Sankar Rao has advised the Forest Department to accord permission for road formation, under Section 3(2) of the Recognition of the Forest Rights Act-2006, in Buriga, China Konela and other hilltop hamlets of Anantagiri mandal in Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district.

Referring to the report tilted “Tribals stage protest seeking ‘forest permission’ for laying of road to their hamlets,” which appeared in The Hindu on Monday (March 3), the AP ST Commission has written to the Principal Chief Commissioner of Forests, Mangalagiri, and to the Collector of ASR district, that the State government has sanctioned funds for the laying of road to the villages but the Forest Department authorities have not accorded permission till date.

The absence of roads was forcing the tribal people to rely on ‘dolis’ to carry sick persons during medical emergencies. Noting that the significance of the issue, the Commission advised the forest authorities to accord permission for construction of roads. It also advised the officials concerned to accord forest permission for road formation, wherever such permissions are required in tribal areas, in the interest of tribal welfare.

The Commission has advised the officials concerned to send an action taken report at the earliest and also to apprise the Chairman of the same.