PORT OF THE SCHEDULED AREAS AND SCHEDULED TRIBES COMMISSION GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Volume II 2564 SA&ST/04-1A 2002-04 • Drokpa Tribe of Darchik, Ladakh Volume-II State-wise Reports 721-793662-684888-910685-720855-887814-854911-926794-813641-661 25. Tamil1. NaduAndhraManipurArunachalLakshadweepAndamanHimachalKeralaChhattisgarhGoaAssamGujaratNagalandRajasthanUttaranchalDamanOadra &Pradesh&NagarPradeshDiu&PradeshNicobarHaveliIslands 126-158159-197198-225226-234309-344241-30895-12583-94235-240463-480422-4621-82602-624345-372373-398481-526625-640399-421527-601 • 18.20.2.23.14.15.17.12.8.11.7.6. MizoramMaharashtraJharkhandJammu and Kashmir 21.19.26.28.27.22.24.16.13.9.4.3.10.5. MeghalayaTripuraWestOrissaSikkimMadhyaKarnatakaBengalPradesh ANDHRA PRADESH 1. Introduction 1. 1 Andhra Pradesh State endowed with a variety of physiographic features ranging from high hills, undulating plains to a coastal deltaic environment has a glorious past. It has references in epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana and Aitareya Brahmana. The Andhra Kingdom was a part of Mauryan empire during the reign of Ashoka. According to historians people belonging to several sects, such as, Andhras, Pulindas and Savaras lived in this region, south of the Vindhya mountains. According to a belief Andhra people are children of Viswamithra. Adilabad is known for Gond kingdom where even today the Gonds live. Gonds of Gondwana region of Madhya Pradesh visit their ancestral places on socio-religious occaSIOns. 1. 2 According to 2001 Census, total population of Andhra Pradesh State is 7.57 crares and that of STs 0.50 crores constituting 6.63% of the total population of the state. The Scheduled Areas under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India extend over 31,485.34 sq. kms. which is about 11% of total area of the state with 5936 villages distributed in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Khammam, Warangal, Adilabad and Mahaboobnagar Districts. There are 35 ST communities of which twelve have been specified as Primitive Tribal Groups(PTG). Literacy rate of STs as compared to total population as per 1991 census is as under: Literacy Rate 25.25Males55.1332.72Females8.68Total44.0917.16 A.P.ScheduleStateTribes Some other features are as under: Sex ratio Total 972 S. T. 960 Dropout rates (1993-94 Classes I-VIII) Total 62.8 S. T. 88.1 Work Participation rate (1991 ) Total 45.1% S. T. 54% 1 Cultivators Total 27.7% S. T. 41.2% Agricultural Labourers Total 40.9% S. T. 46.6% Below Poverty Line 1999-2000 (% age)- Rural Urban Total 11.14 26.53 S. T. 23.82 44.99 1.3 The Scheduled Tribes 1.3.1. Andhra Pradesh was constituted on 1.11.1956 by merger of territories from erstwhile Madras and Hyderabad States. There were notified STs in both these States. After reorganization, the STs were notified with respect to the erstwhile areas of Madras and Hyderabad by reproducing the ST list of their respective States. 1.3.2. In 1956, Valmiki, Nayak and Goudu (Goud) communities were included in the list of STs in the agency tracts and Sugalis, I:ambada and Yerukulas were also added as Scheduled Tribes throughout the State. In 2002, certain sub-tribes and synonyms were added and deleted from the main tribes mentioned in the ST list and two more communities were added into the list of STs. 1.4 Major Scheduled Tribes: - Koya, Yenadi, Yerukula, Gond, Sugali (Lambada), Konda dora, Savara Jatapu and Bagata. 1.5 Major PTGs: Konda Savara, Kondareddi, Dongaria Kondh, Kutia Kondh, Kolam and Chenchu. 1.6 The Commission visited Andhra Pradesh during March 23 to April 2, 2003 to see the socio-economic conditions of STs and the pattern of administration of the Scheduled Areas in six ITDAs out of 10 namely, Utnoor (Adilabad), Bhadrachalam (Khammam district), Paderu (Vishakhapatnam district), Parvathipuram (Vizianagaram district), Seethampeta (Srikakulam district) and Srisailam (Kurnool district). The Commission began their field visit from ITDA, Utnoor in Adilabad district, after a homage to the statue of Kumaran Bheem, a Raj Gond who fought against Nizam for protecting the interests oftribals. 1.7 Tribal Welfare Department is the nodal department for the development of Scheduled Areas and the STs. It is headed by a Minister, who is assisted by a Secretary to the Government, a Commissioner and a Managing Director of Girijan Cooperative Corporation. The Department is supported by the Project Officers of Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDA), District Tribal Development Officers in non ITDA districts, Chief Engineer and Director, Tribal Research Institute. 2 Iii ,I I!; 'I II I 2. Tribal Unrest and Action Plan 2.1 Tribal Unrest - The tribals of Andhra Pradesh have a long history of struggle for their survival against exploitation by non-tribals, money-lenders, landlords, liquor vendors, administrators and political leaders or against stringent forest conservation laws, latid assignment policies and judicial procedures. The tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh have been periodically experiencing tension in one part or the other. A brief note containing background information is placed at Appendix-I. The unrest in the Scheduled Areas of the State has not subsided. 2.2 Measures taken by Government- Govt. have constituted a Cabinet sub-Committee with the Minister for Revenue, Minister for Tribal Welfare and Minister for. Higher Education to .look into all aspects concerning the land disputes between the tribals and non-tribals in West Godavari district. The Cabinet sub-Committee held extensive discussions with the representatives of tribals, non-tribals, political parties and peoples' representatives. It also examined the various orders passed by the High Court and the legal and administrative aspects of the problem. The law enforcing apparatus has been strengthened by deploying adequate force in the mandals of Polavaram, Buttayagudem and Jelugumilli. The Collector has been permitted to hire jeeps to improve the mobility of the MandaI Revenue Officers (MROs) in these mandals. In addition, instructions have been issued to the district collector to take the following action to diffuse the situation: (1) To constitute an all party committee at the district level and to convene it at least once in a month to discuss the various steps proposed to be taken for verification of enjoyment and other related measures. _ (2) To constitute village peace committees involving the tribals, non-tribals and other interested parties. (3) To take up fresh verification of title and possession of land in the Agency villages as per the procedure indicated below: i.' MandaI Revenue Officer will prepare a Village Enjoyment Map showing the lands belonging to tribals and non-tribals as per 1933 Revenue Settlement Record (RSR) in different colours. 11. The LTR, assessed waste dry, Porambokes and 0 Form Patta lands of tribals under occupation of non-tribals will be left blank. Ill. Verification programme is to be drawn up in advance and given wide publicity by beat of torn-torn. In addition, the verification programme is to be communicated in writing to the tribals, non-tribals voluntary organizations, political parties and other interested persons well before the actual commencementofthe verification. IV. Simultaneously, copies of Adangal, RSR and the list of enjoyers and list of Govt. lands are to be published in the village. v. The areas left blank in the Map will then be filled by conducting physical verification in the presence of tribal, non-tribals and other interested parties. The names of all the pattedars and enjoyers which have been incorporated in the map are to be ~eadout in the Gram Sabha and the tribals and non-tribals or their representatives are to be allowed to raise any objections. vi. In addition, time is to be given to both the tribalsand non-tribals to produce documentary evidence, if any, in support of their claims. vii. The various cases pending before various Courts are also to be read out in the Gram Sabha. 3 viii.After finalizing the objections ofthe tribals and non-tribals, the Govt. land detected in the enjoyment verification has to be identified and list of such lands is to be published in the village. Along with this list of lands, a list of eligible tribal beneficiaries is to be finalized. IX. The lands identified in this exercise shall be distributed to the eligible land less tribals and they should be extended economic support from the ITDA for taking up cultivation. To resolve land disputes in Scheduled Areas, the Collector, W.G. District took up comprehensive land survey in the agency areas and also constituted village level committee comprising village Sarpanch VAO, one member from S.Cs, one from S.Ts, one from RCs, one from other castes (O.C) and two women. This committee will verify the disputed lands in the villages. The Collector had informed in all-parties meeting which was held on 1 ihJuly, 1997 that the survey was launched in Scheduled Areas in January 1997 by posting additional surveyors and revenue officials exclusively for this work. The survey has been completed in all villages except Singanapally village, Polavaram MandaI where the survey could not be taken up as the tribals and non-tribals are not cooperating with revenue officials. The Commissioner Tribal Welfare has instructed the District administration to take up the survey taking in to account the register maintained by the erstwhile Jamindars wherein the names of the tribals are recorded. 2.3 There was an attack by the naxalites on the Chief Minister ,on October 1, 2003. A former Uttar Pradesh DGP is investigating the security lapses that led to the attack. According to him the naxalite problem is not only a law and order issue but its root causes are the socio-economic problems of the tribals relating to land, forest and non-implementation of moneylenders' act etc. etc. The Fifth Schedule to the Constitution directs the Governor to make regulation for the 'peace and good government', in the Scheduled Areas.