Andhra Pradesh government yet to allocate land for tribal museum

VISAKHAPATNAM: The tribal

freedom fighters

museum set to come up in Tajangi near Lambasingi is yet to take shape. After a tedious process of land identification for the proposed park-museum, 22 acres of suitable land has finally been identified.


The project outlay was for Rs 35 crore—of which the state government was supposed to provide Rs 20 crore, and the Union government had already released Rs 15 crore—even before the land identification was done. The state government is yet to allocate the land and release the Rs 20 crore.

“The land identification process has been completed and the survey of the identified parcel of land has been completed. However, we are awaiting the survey report. Once that is done, land allocation process will be completed,” DK Balaji, project officer (PO), Integrated

Tribal

Development Agency (ITDA), Paderu said. He added that the land would soon be handed over for the project.

Tribal activists claim that the process has been on for more than a year. They fear that the project could stay in the pipe-line for some time to come.

G Rama Gopal, tribal activist and state president of the Indian confederation of indigenous and tribal peoples said, “The Union government was prompt in releasing the funds for the project. However, it is sad that the state government is dragging its feet, especially when it is supposed to be the major contributor.”

Ram Gopal further added that this was a project very dear to the indigenous tribal groups in north coastal AP and south Orissa.

The ITDA PO, DK Balaji, dismissed rumours of the

museum

being shifted to

Pandrangi

.

Regarding rumours about the museum being shifted, activists say it would serve the dual purpose of being a memorial and would also educate local tribals of their history.

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