Adilabad: The forest department intensified plantations on podu land being cultivated by non-tribals as part of its land retrieval programme during monsoon in the erstwhile Adilabad district.The forest is taking back small pieces of land from non-tribals who don’t have pattas. They are going ahead despite resistance from cultivators.Sirpur (T) MLA Palvai Harish Babu said forest officials ere raising the plantations at various places in his Assembly constituency while the fresh move is at Kadamba.Trees had been planted on 40 hectares in Babjipet forest beat a few days ago in Ichoda mandal. The department is taking police cover for raising the plantations. It has set up a camp for the police.Five reserve police constables have been deployed to give security to 40 hectares of podu land retrieved from Multanis at Babjipet forest beat. Police are keeping a close watch on the movement of unknown persons entering that area.A forest officer said ‘raising plantations on podu land is one of the many ways to retrieve the land.The ‘Multanis’ of Keshavapatnam alleged the forest department is targeting podu land being cultivated by them and raising plantations on their land. They also alleged that the forest staff removed kharif cotton plants from podu land.
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