Tribal & Rural Development may remain a Myth?

   Brief Background of the Case

 

 This is a live Case of gross negligence on the part of the AP State Administration for about 3 decades The Court of the Forest Settlement Officer, Khammam, issued Proc.No. D/445/1977 dated 20-2-1983, ordering that

 

a)    Patta lands to the extent of 49.19 acres belonging to ten Pattedars, in Sy.Nos. 373 to 379 and 381 to 386 may be cancelled and included in proposed Forest Block Lachapur Extn.I. and

 

b)    In lieu of the above Patta lands, an area of Ac.62.00 may be given from Sy.No 570/1 of Patwarigudem village, Dammapeta Mandal, adjacent to Dammapeta to Paloncha PWD Road, after phodi and entered in the Revenue Records in the name of 10 Pattedars or their legal heirs.

 

 It is regrettable that the allotted lands are not handed over to the Tribal Pattedars or their legal heirs, who were deprived of their agriculture lands- livelihood--in the notified Scheduled Area, even after 28 years have passed, since the Order was issued.

 

Having received no response from Tahasildar (MRO) Dammapeta, the District Collector, Khammam and PO ITDA Bhadrachalam were approached in February 2010 As there was no response, even after reminders, from them, the matter was taken up with Special Chief Secretary, Department of Social Welfare and the Commissioner of Tribal Welfare, who were kind enough to follow it up with the District Collector & PO ITDA .

 

Finally the present PO ITDA(B) requested the Tahasildar, Dammapeta to enquire into the matter, take necessary action and submit report of compliance immediately , treating the matter as most urgent, vide his Note dated 26-07-2011 addressed to the Tahasildar copy endorsed to Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO)  Palavancha, while the  District Collector Khammam remained a passive spectator all this time, It is to be seen, if and when the Tahasildar responds ?

 

Moral of the Story

 

 Having started with the Tahasildar and landed back with him, after going through various channels for about two years, I got the message "Loud & Clear" that the Delivery System in Revenue matters, at the Grass Roots (Mandal) level, rests with Tahasildar alone and none else. He can either deprive or bestow the Right to Property for a price unchallenged, particularly in the districts where Land Survey records are not maintained properly.  All others at Division and District Levels appear to be superfluous and wasteful, as they do not seem to monitor & govern that the Delivery Mechanism at the Mandal level functions smoothly & satisfactorily. 

 

 Unfortunately, the delivery systems, be it Revenue, Rural Development ,Panchayat , Tribal Development, Forest, Health, Education, Irrigation, Power, Roads etc Departments, at the Mandal level have become the channels for draining out the public funds, meant for well intended  projects like REGS, LWE, Rural Water Supply etc The District Collector , who is supposed to supervise & govern the functioning and monitor the performance of about more than 50 activities /departments/committees , does not seem  to have full grasp of   some of them, leave alone controlling and governing them.

 

Conclusion

 

The painful conclusion is that the Delivery Systems at the Grass Roots level are indifferent/ insensitive, unresponsive and ineffective. Secondly there is no Good Governance, particularly at the District Level--- Responsive, Transparent, Accountable, Effective & Efficient, and Rule of Law -- And thirdly, there are no independent Regulating /Implementing/Monitoring  Agencies which can act and function without the interference of NETA/BABU nexus. Without these, Jan Lokpal Bill or No Bill, the Corruption will spread like cancer, harming the well being of the Nation.

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