Tribal Bodies Stage Stir Over Andhra Govt's Proposal to Amend Land Transfer Act

Tribal organisations in the forest areas of north-Andhra districts are up in arms against a recent proposal mooted by state assembly speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu for an amendment to Andhra Pradesh Land Transfer Regulation Act in order to promote tourism activity in these areas.

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

HYDERABAD:

Various tribal organisations and opposition parties formed into a joint action committee (JAC) and organised a complete shutdown in the "manyam" (a local term for reserve forest area) region, covering Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam districts and parts of Visakhapatnam, on February 11 and 12.

The Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation, 1959 as amended by Regulation 1 of 1970 prohibits transfer of immovable property from tribe to non-tribals within the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh, aiming to protect the land rights of tribal communities.

As such, in the tribal areas (also known as agency areas), the transfer of land from a tribal person to a non-tribal person cannot be done through sale, lease, mortgage, gift, or exchange.

The controversy started with Ayyanna Patrudu, while participating in Vizag Investors' Tourism Summit in Visakhapatnam on January 27, calling for an amendment to the AP Land Transfer Regulation Act in order to attract private tourism in the tribal areas.