Tiger reserve forest opposed

November 27, 2011 By DC Correspondent ADILABAD Headmaster, deputy warden suspended The proposed project to develop Kawal wildlife sanctuary as a tiger reserve forest received a blow on Saturday. Hundreds of adivasis gathered at Allinagar village in the midst of the sanctuary under the banner of Girijana Sangham, affiliated to the CPI (M) on Saturday to oppose it. They express their views and strongly opposed the move in the name of developing the tiger reserve forest. The CPI(M) former MP, Mr Midium Bapurao, who has vast experience in tribal issues being an adivasi, interacted with adivasis, at Allinagar village in Malyal gram panchayat of Jannaram mandal. Such a meeting also held with the adivasis of Middechintha and Gandigopalapur villages in Kadam mandal. Four villages have been earmarked in Jannaram mandal for evacuation in the first phase. There are many apprehensions among the adivasis about the rehabilitation and resettlement packages, losing their traditional livelihood, and threat to their culture and traditions. Forest officials are in a hurry for evacuating the adivasi families of Allin-gar, Dongapall, and Malyal villages, located in the sanctuary. Mr Thodasam Prabhakar, the district secretary of Girijana Sang-ham, alleged that forest officials spread rumours that poisonous snakes and a tiger were moving in the forest of Allinagar, Malya, and Dongapalli villages, to scare them out of the sanctuary. It is learnt that the forest officials have identified nearly 40 tribal villages, where adivasis have been residing for a long time, to evacuate them for developing the tiger reserve forest in a phased manner. The forest officials offered Rs.10 lakhs compensation to each family, which agree to come out from the identified four villages in the first phase, and good rehabilitation and resettlement packages. Mr Midium Bapurao said adivasis are the main victims in any project, whether it is opencast mines, Polavar-am project, or developing tiger reserve forest. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/karimnagar/tiger-reserve-forest-opposed-533