Government has decided to pay input subsidy of 4,000 per acre

Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna on Sunday announced that the government has decided to pay input subsidy of 4,000 per acre to all farmers who are cultivating lands under the Forest Rights Act.The State government took this decision two days ago, he revealed.

The Minister was addressing a gathering of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), the Kolams, Thotties and Naikpods at the meeting organised by Kolam Seva Sangh to voice the problems of the PVTGs.He said the government was in cognizance of the problems of the aboriginal tribes and would soon come out with a plan to allocate their own share of funds from tribal development.

Earlier, the Sangh’s Adilabad district president Kodapa Sone Rao listed out a host of problems being faced by PVTGs. He said the government should give them better health care, education and employment.The tribal leaders pointed out that crores of rupees are being allocated for the development of PVTGs through the Integrated Tribal Development Agency at Utnoor, but hardly any money percolated to the grass roots.

They complained that lack of proper aid had rendered them utterly backward.About 1,000 Kolams and members of other tribes had gathered for the meeting at the Ramlila maidan here.Among those who attended the meeting, were Kolam leader Athram Bale Rao, Kodapa Laxman and Anand Rao besides retired High Court Judge B. Chandra Kumar.