The Andhra government is again at it. After wooing the residents of Kotia by distributing land deeds and other welfare schemes, the AP government has reportedly started cashew cultivation at Koraput borderlines.
It is said that the neighbouring state is angling for intruding forest lands at Rebatiguda of Kapaloda panchayat under Bandhugaon block for which it has started cultivating cashew in the region.
According to sources, the village has 84 acres of private land, 398 acres of government land. While land under the revenue department is in safe hands, lands of forest department are under threat of AP government.
On the other hand, farmers belonging to Rebatiguda village failed to grow anything in the absence of forest land deeds. Even they are yet to avail caste certificates as they have no land deeds.
Meanwhile, residents of Rebatiguda have threatened to get merged with Andhra Pradesh if the Odisha government takes no initiative to provide them basic amenities.
On the other hand, local tehsildar said steps are being taken by the district administration to provide caste certificates to residents.
Forest department officials were unavailable to comment on the issue.
Kapaloda Sarpanch Akama said, “Without caste certificates villagers are deprived of basic amenities. I would like to urge the state government to resolve their caste certificate issue at the earliest.”
Tehsildar Sadashiv Bhatra, said “AP has not encroached upon revenue lands. But it is learnt that some portion of forest land is being used for cashew cultivation. And about caste certificate, I must say I have asked the residents to apply in the tehsil office to avail caste certificates.