Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ch. Venu Gopala Krishna on Monday laid the foundation stone for the work under the A.P. Fibre Grid project that aims at providing internet connectivity to 48 ward and village secretariats, primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) in the Rampa Agency of East Godavari district.
The stole-laying ceremony for the ₹6.5-crore project marked the International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Participating in a rally taken out as part of the celebration in Rampachodavaram, the Minister, accompanied by Rampachodavaram MLA N. Dhana Lakshmi, said that the State government was committed to conservation and protection of the socio-cultural diversity of the tribal communities.
Addressing a gathering of tribal people, their community leaders and government officials, Mr. Venu Gopala Krishna said the Agency areas spread over more than 40% of the geographical area of East Godavari district. “The Agency is a home to the cultural diversity of the tribes including Konda Reddy, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. The State government will strive to protect this cultural heritage,” he said.
Drinking water
Rampachodavaram ITDA Project Officer C.V. Praveen Adithya said that a drinking water project was in progress and it was targeted to providing safe drinking water to 450 tribal habitations within two years.
Pattas distributed
As many as 1,846 beneficiaries received pattas for 3653 acres of land distributed under the ST and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
In Chintoor Agency, a huge number of tribal people took part in the celebrations.
They perform the Kommu Koya dance on the ITDA Chintoor campus. The tribal people led by ITDA Project Officer A.Venkata Ramana took out a rally. The participants, in their traditional attire, showcased their cultural heritage. Artistes from the Tummala-Ramannagudem area performed the Kommu Koya dance.
