Four tribal communities stage protest, seek mandal status

Members of four tribal communities — Konda Kammara, Manne Dora, Konda Dora and Konda Reddy (classified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group), belonging to 10 gram panchayats staged a protest in front of the Kakinada Collectorate on Monday, demanding that Pedda Mallapuram be declared as a mandal headquarters and granted 5^th Scheduled Area status. 

Since 1970s, the four tribes belonging to the 56 villages across the mandals of Shankavaram, Prathipadu, and Rowthulapudi in the erstwhile East Godavari district have been fighting for the inclusion of their villages in the 5^th Schedule Area. 

Scores of tribals, mostly women, on Monday took out a rally in Kakinada city before arriving at the Collectorate under the banner of Adivasi Sangham headed by State president Lotha Rama Rao. 

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Rama Rao recalled that Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan had assured to include the 10 gram panchayats in the 5^th Scheduled Area if the alliance was voted to power during the 2024 election campaign in Yeleswaram.

The tribal communities have alleged that they are being denied access to facilities, reservations, welfare schemes entitled to tribes in the 5^th Scheduled Area. CPM Kakinada District president M. Rajasekhar and other Left party leaders extended their solidarity