YCP illegal mining in non-scheduled areas

Lokesh blames CM for raw deal to tribals

Jagan ulterior plans exposed in Parliament

No AP proposals before Centre on non-scheduled areas

AMARAVATI (prajaamaravati): TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday asserted that the ruling YSRCP's illegal mining in the non-scheduled tribal areas got exposed following the latest statement of the Centre in the Parliament.

Lokesh said the Union Tribal Welfare Minister had clarified that they did not receive any proposals from the AP Government for converting non-scheduled areas into scheduled ones for the benefit of tribals. The Union Minister gave this clarified in reply to a question asked by the ruling YSRCP MPs only.

In a statement here, Lokesh asked how the Jagan Reddy Government could mislead the people till now that it was taking steps to recognise non-scheduled areas as scheduled areas to ensure a better deal for tribals living there. What explanation would the YSRCP rulers give now on the Union Minister's statement?

Nara Lokesh expressed concern that the State Government had not tried to convert the non-scheduled areas only to facilitate the illegal mining by the ruling YSRCP leaders. The YSRCP MPs themselves exposed their party illegal activities in tribal areas by asking the question in the Parliament.

Lokesh said that the areas in Natavaram and Sarugudu mandals were being kept as non-scheduled areas deliberately in order to benefit the illegal mining gangs of the CM. There were over 554 non-scheduled tribal villages in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari districts. The ruling YSRCP leaders had kept these areas in their iron hands to exploit their mineral resources.

Nara Lokesh said that a lot of injustice was being done to the tribals living in non-scheduled areas. They were not being given the sort of rights or Government benefits that were being enjoyed by tribals living in scheduled areas.

Lokesh pointed out that non-tribals were getting elected as public representatives in tribal non-scheduled areas. They were getting a raw deal in land transactions, development and job opportunities. The TDP wrote a letter on December 10, 2021 for protection of tribal rights but there has been no response from the Chief Minister till now.