The Telangana Forest Rangers Association has decided to drop the investigation and hold gram sabhas to resolve the podu growers’ applications for pattas.
UPDATE – 12:35 PM, Thu – Nov 24 22
The Telangana Forest Rangers Association has decided to drop the investigation and hold gram sabhas to resolve the podu growers’ applications for pattas.
Common: Guthikoyas killed forest ranger Ch Srinivas Rao in Borlapadu in the district’s Chandrugonda mandal on Tuesday, leading to a boycott of the ongoing podu land survey across the state on Thursday.
The Telangana Forest Rangers Association, Telangana Junior Forest Officers Association and other associations have decided to drop the investigation and hold gram sabhas to resolve the podu growers’ applications for pattas.
In former Khammam, the gram sabhas procedure was also affected in many places on Wednesday as most of the forest officials traveled to Erlapudi village in Khammam’s Raghunathapalem mandal to attend Srinivas Rao’s funeral.
Leaders of the foresters’ association plan to hold mass rallies at their regional headquarters in Khammam and Kothagudem on Thursday in support of their demands to provide foresters with weapons to protect forests and their own safety.
Forest officials and staff are terrified after the killing of Srinivas Rao. Telangana Forest Rangers Association state secretary Narender said the associations wanted specific assurances from the state government on safety measures for rangers in the field.
Leaders of these associations are also planning a rally in Hyderabad and are scheduled to meet Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to file a memorandum setting out their demands and seeking immediate action.
