Two sisters belonging to the Gadaba, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, complained to the Joint Collector and the Revenue Divisional Officer, Visakhapatnam that their land was being usurped by non-tribal land mafia with the active support of a Tahsildar.
The complaint filed by Chinni Jogulamma and Nalli Erukulamma of Dukulampadu a tribal village under Cheemalapadu Gram Panchayat in Ravikamatam mandal in Narsipatnam Revenue Division, reveals how these innocent and illiterate women had been duped.
It is shocking that a non-tribal is trying to project their land as his surplus land and would surrender it under the Land Ceiling Act in lieu of 11 acres of land in Anandapuram mandal (which is costlier several times). He is reportedly assisted by the Revenue officials. He could catch hold of a person from Dukulampadu village with the same name as of the sisters’ grandfather and made him “sell” the land and got the sale documents registered at Chodavaram Sub-Registrar’s office instead of at Narsipatnam Sub-Registrar’s Office after the Narsipatnam office rejected the registration as the “seller” could not produce his pattadar passbook.
The online adangal (1B record) was also allegedly tampered with after the complaint was lodged.
The two sisters and their elder sister Chinni Rajulamma, who passed away later, inherited 43 acres of land from their grandfather and are the only living heirs. During 2006 they had sold 25.9 acres to the Government under the Indira Kranti Padhakam and received Rs. 15,000 per acre. They were left with 15.74 acres after 1.38 acres was exempted under Grama Kantham.
While this is the case, one Korada Sadhu Jagannadha Rao had to surrender 11.14 acres of land under the Land Ceiling Act and he offered the land of same extent at Dikulampadu to the Government and the sisters alleged that he, with the help of Tahsildar of Ravikamatam P. Umamaheswara Rao, Surveyor, VRO and RI got the details of their land changed in the online records.
According to the changed records the land belonged to one Eedala Jogiraju and the land was registered in the name of Korada Sadhu Jagannada Rao and his wife Jayalakshmi. But the sisters say that Eedala Jogiraju was not having any piece of land in the past and was given 30 cents of land under his wife’s name.
This piece of land was part of the land the government purchased from the sisters.
The sisters wonder how Eedala Jogiraju suddenly became owner of several acres of land. When they brought this to the notice of higher officials, including the JC, RDO, CCLA, and Commissioner and IG of Stamps and Registration, the Collector invoked the SC and ST Atrocities Prevention Act, and with the help of A.P. Vyayasaya Vrittidarula Union leader P.S. Ajay Kumar, the online record was blocked.
There was no response from the officials when they were approached.