Tribals kill FRO; forest officials want protection

Telangana forest department officials are in an agitation mode, demanding adequate protection, and firearms, after the brutal murder of FRO Srinivasa Rao by tribals in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Tuesday.

Rao (42) was hacked with a sickle and axe by the Gutti Koya tribe people at a plantation where he tried to stop forest land encroachment for shifting cultivation. The award-winning Forest Range Officer was laid to rest on Wednesday with state honours, in the presence of TRS ministers, top officials and hundreds of department officers and staff.

Forest officials are now demanding the filling up of vacancies so that there is enough staff to discharge their duties like the sensitive Podu lands surveys in the interior areas. In some places like Khammam, department employees reportedly boycotted their duties in protest.

The Telangana police said that the two Guthi Koya tribe persons who allegedly killed the FRO were arrested and the weapons seized.

On Thursday, state Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force RM Dobriyal met with DGP Mahender Reddy, and asked for more coordination, and support from the police to the forest officials discharging duties on ground.

“Government murder,” Congress says

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress and BJP have blamed the K Chandrasekhar Rao government for the FRO killing and the violent clashes occurring between the tribals and forest officials over the Podu lands issue.

TPCC president Revanth Reddy called FRO killing “a government murder.”

“Because of your failure in resolving the podu lands issue, frequent conflicts are arising between tribals and forest officials. An honest officer lost his life because of the TRS government's incompetence. It is government murder and KCR should take full responsibility for it,” the Lok Sabha MP said in an open letter.

TBJP chief Bandi Sanjay demanded that KCR should be booked for the FRO murder. “What has happened to the CM's assurance in the Telangana assembly on podu pattas to tribals?”

Reddy said that “in the past eight years KCR kept saying that rights over podu lands will be given, at the same time asking officials to take stringent action on tribals cultivating in podu lands. This has caused frequent scuffles.”

The Congress MP demanded KCR immediately initiate a plan to distribute podu lands pattas.

“In the meantime, officials should be instructed not to disturb adivasis and tribals cultivating podu lands. Security should be provided to officials discharging duties,” Reddy said while warning KCR that the Telangana Congress will go on a protest if he fails to act at least now.