TS CS held a meeting with Forest and Revenue Officials at BRKR Bhavan

Chief Secretary Sri Somesh Kumar IAS held a meeting with forest and revenue officials to resolve the Podu land issues in accordance with the instructions of the Honourable Chief Minster Sri K Chandrashekar Rao.  It may be recalled that the government has decided to accept claims from tribals and others  for Podu cultivation from 8^th of  November.

Chief Secretary deliberated about the procedure to be followed for accepting the claims and their scrutiny with the officials.  The Forest Rights Committees (FRC) shall be formed with Sarpanches, Panchayat Secretaries, local people’s representatives and other members.  These committees will create awareness, receive claims and verify.  The villagers should agree to no further encroachment.  Similarly there will be committees at division and district level .  Districts will prepare and submit action plan and schedule.

Chief Secretary also suggested to appoint special officers in those districts where there are large number of cases pertaining to Podu lands.  Similarly senior Forest officials should be appointed in the districts where there is large extent of forest lands.  The entire process should be done in a transparent manner without giving scope to any controversies,  he added

Special Chief Secretary Forest Smt Shanti Kumari, PCCF Smt R Shobha, Sri M C Paragein, Additional PCCF, Sri Swargam Srinivas Addl PCCF, Secretary Tribal Welfare Smt Christina Zongthu, CIG Sri Sheshadri, OSD to CM Smt Priyanka Verghese  and other officials attended the meeting.

-Press note