The CPI (ML-New Democracy) State committee has decided to lay siege to the official residences of MLAs and ministers, belonging to Agency Areas, on August 16 and 17 to exert pressure on them to ensure grant of pattas to tribals and other traditional forest dwellers for their “podu lands” under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
The CPI (ML-ND) and the All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) will jointly hold the two-day protests to press for a charter of demands, including withdrawal of cases foisted against podu farmers in various Agency mandals and stern action against those responsible for implicating podu farmers in “false cases” and “infringing” on the traditional rights of tribals as guaranteed by the FRA, said a joint press release issued by the CPI (ML-ND) and the AIKMS.
