From                                                                      To
Sri S D.Mukherji.l.F.S.,                                         The Dist.Collector
Prl.Chief Conservator of Forests,                         East Godavari District, 
Aranya Bhavan, A.P.Hyderabad.                          Kakinada
.

Ref.No.22937/99-D2 Date: 7-6-1999

Sir,

Sub:- Forest Department - Supply of timber to M/s.Godavari Plywood Ltd.,- Reg.

Ref:- l) Meeting held in the chambers of Minister for Forests & Environment on 29-5-1999.

2) Govt.D.O.Lr No.2808/For.III/99-4, Dated:3-6-1999.

On the representation of Chairman & Managing Director of M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited, a meeting was held in the Chambers of Minister for Forests & Environment on 29.5."99 on the supply of timber to M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited. As the Department is not in position to supply from East Godavari District forest in view of Forest Conservation Act the Chairman & Managing Director, M/s Godavari Plywood Limited informed the Hon'bie Minister for Forests & Environment that some Pattedars in East Godavari district are willing to supply timber from their patta lands to his industry and therefore, the Chairman & Managing Director, M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited requested action to be taken accordingly. During the discussion, the Chairman & Managing Director, M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited was informed that the rights of the Pattedars over the timber in their lands have to be got verified and the Dist.Collector, East Godavari district is the concerned authority to verify such rights and also issue of necessary felling permission.

The Chairman & Managing Director, M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited was directed to furnish the list of such Pattedars to the Dist.Collector, East Godavari district who will verify the rights of Pattedars on the timber in their patta lands and send the details to the Forest Department for further action within (30) days. A copy of the Minutes of the Discussion is enclosed. As soon as the Chairman & Managing Director, M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited approaches the Dist Collector, it is requested to take-up the verification as requested in the agenda item-1 of the minutes of discussion and inform the details to the Divisional Forest Officer, Kakinada Division and to the Conservator of Forests, Rajahmundry Circle for necessary action marking copy to the Prl Chief Conservator of Forests.

Yours faithfully,
Sd/- M.Sultan Mohiuddin, For Prl.Chief Conservator of Forests.

Encls: As above
Copy submitted to the Prl..Secretary to Government (EFS&T),Govt. of AP. Hyderabad with a request to direct the Dist.Collector E.G.Dist. to Cause necessary verification as per the list of Pattadar to be Furnished by the Managing Director & Chairman M/s Godavary Plywood Industries Ltd, as decided in the discussions on 29-5-99 With Honourable Mini. for Forests.

Copy to the Conservator of Forests, Raiahmundry Circle - for necessary action., Copy to the Divisional Forest Officer, Kakinada for necessary action. Copy to Sri N. Venkaiah, Chairman & Managing Director, M/s.Godavari Plywood Limited, "Nalamothu House" 6-3-1186/1, Greenlands Road, Begumpet, Hydcrnbad 500 016 - with a request to approach the Dist.Collector, East Godnvari district with the Iist of the Pattedars as already decided in the meeting held in the chambers of Minister for Forests & Environment on 29.5. '99.

For Prl.Chief Conservator

From John Ulahannan in Chintalapudi

The virgin forests of the Bison Hills of East Godavari district are now under a shave-off threat as the unscrupulous, scheming timber contractors spread their tentacles deeper and deeper into the rich groves. They grab from the treasure box of nature in broad daylight and get away with the loot as the helpless, and in many cases conniving, authorities watch indifferently.

This reporter, recently on a tour of the agency areas of East Godavari district, witnessed with the help of some local and deforestation activists the virtual rape of a virgin piece of natural forest, rare in Andhra Pradesh, at the hands of a timber contractor based at Kakinada. His men are busy cutting down trees and what today is a stretch of lovely forest cover will soon turn into barren land. The place in question is about 25 km from the road head at Maredumilli off Rampachodavaram, Sileru and Narsipatnam to Chintur constitute Andhra Pradesh’s only stretch of natural forests, quite rich, through not as rich as the Silent Valley in Kerala, in flora and fauna. The wild species of bison found in these forests has earned them the name Bison Hills.

The story begins with the granting of pattas to 11 non-tribal individuals from Kakinada for 11 separate but adjacent plots of non-reserve forest land here bearing survey numbers from 51/1 to 51/11 some years back. The lands stretch across the Chitapkonda and Kakibandalu hills overlooking the Chintalapudi tribal settlement of Y Ramavaram mandal. The grant of these pattas itself is questionable because non-tribals are not entitled to hold landed property is scheduled areas according to the Land Translation Regulation Act of 1974. But the parties concerned, it is learnt, took advantage of the provisions of another Act of the state government which in a way nullify the LTRA restrictions on land holdings in scheduled areas by non-tribals. The Act legalises the issuance of "Ryotuvaripattas" to lands to non-tribals if they had been cultivating such lands in scheduled non-reserved forests for eight years. But the lands in question were obviously never under cultivation. These lands are virgin forests unexplored and rich in natural beauty and forest wealth. Acting on a complaint about the pattas, the Director of Settlements, Revenue Department, ordered the cancellation of the same but the higher authority, the settlement commissioner, reversed the order on the technical ground of time delay, it is learnt.

As the pattas were cleared the 11 non-tribals conferred the power of attorney with regard to the use of these forest lands on a timber contractor and dealer from Kakinada. The power of attorney entitles the person concerned to solely and totally exploit the resources available in the land in question like cutting and selling trees, etc. The contractor brought in his men and set up work comps in the deep forest and started felling trees on a large scale. But the tribal population of the surrounding areas, especially those of Chintalapudi settlement who would be the most affected in the case of the said forest being wiped off, raised pociferous objections with the help of certain social activists. The sarpanch of the Chintalapudi village told me that the contractor in a bid to settle the issue before it spilled out from the confines of the forest offered to pay a community compensation of Rs. 6,400 on each plot of land for all the 11 survey numbers to the tribals. But the tribals refused the compensations as they considered this would be the gravest sin they could commit selling off the sustenance of their existence, mother forest.

However, as I had pointed out earlier, the contractor is going ahead with his operations. Deep into the valleys and the cliffs of this unwalked forest his men have now laid truck roads. Hundreds of workers are engaged in cutting trees. And many others in pulling them down truck roads using buffaloes. At Many places there are stacks waiting to be lifted by trucks. The tribals and the social activists who campaign against deforestation in these areas have almost lost the bottle against this ecological outrage under the nose of the Forest Department, as they are left unarmed against the might of the contractor. Sources who have sought anonymity allege that right them the stage of the issual of pattas the contracter has been invoiced in the matter. They argue that otherwise there was no need for all the 11 patta-holders to confer the power of attorney on the same contractor.

Sources say that similar shaving of virgin non-reserved forests is taking place at four other places in the agency areas of east Godavari district.

The Chintalapudi scandal raises certain questions. How could the settlement department clear pattas on forest lands without proper enquiries, on the pretext that the lands in question were agricultural lands whereas the truth is otherwise. Why did the Forest Department, which claims to be the guardian of all forests not object to the issuance of the pattas as well as the subsequent felling of trees by the contractor. Why should the contractor affer to compensate the tribals if the whole affair was legal. The government owes the answers to these questions to the people of a state which experiences he alarming consequences of ecological deterioration more and more as each day passes.

- NEWS TIME Saturday May 30 198

- M.V.P.C.Sastry, IAS, Dist.collector, (East Godavari) Dated: 3.6.1987

"There are large number of cases where pattas were issued illegally by the settlement officer to Non-tribals, In many of these settlement patta lands, there is dense forest growth."

"Unfortunately, due to the inadequate legal provisions felling permissions were already granted in 26 cases on the directions of High Court. 17 cases are pending in the Collector’s office for grant of permission. In five cases the permissions were rejected. There are 9 cases pending in the High Court. In some of the cases pending before the High Court, the felling permits are claimed in virgin forests."

"The scheduled areas in the District are the catchments area for Yeleru River and a large number of other minor streams and springs which provide irrigation and drinking water in the tribal areas and in the upland. These springs and streams are fast drying up and there is perceptible change in the ecological balance in the Agency area."

-Indian Express, August 13, 1990?

Express News Service
Hyderabad, Aug. 12: An order issued by the State Government last month will open up a pandor’s box and help raze thick forests to the extent of 3,500 acres in East Godavari district.

In a strange reversal of an earlier decision, the State Government issued orders allowing a power of attorney holder to fell trees in 209 hectares (over 500 acres) of thick forest.

The action of the government gives credence to suspicion of large amounts changing hands as the move benefits a few private forest landawners and timber merchants. The Opposition too has charged the Government with shady deals to benefit the holder of the power of attorney.

The governmdent order (GO) Ms. 185 of 9.7.90 which goes against G.O. Ms. 210 of 20.7.88 will spelt doom for forests in about 1400 hectares in Chintalapudi, Perikavalasa, Jangalthota, Pydiputta and Kota villages of Y. Ramavaram mandal of East Godavari.

The forests in these areas are believed to be about 75 years old and the area is full of slopes and streams.

The irony of the latest government order is that it grants permission to the power of attorney, V. Sankar Reddy, which was denied to him by the High Court.

Sankar Reddy had filed a writ in the High Court chanlleging the government order No. 210 of July, 1988, which nullified execution of a power of attorney. The order also banned felling of trees whose vale exceeded Rs. 5,000. The court struck down his writ while upholding the Government order.

The power of attorney then approached the Supreme Court and while the matter was pending with the highest court in the land, the government silently issued orders granting permission to Sankar Reddy to fell trees in survey numbers 51/1 to 51/11 of Chintalapudi village of East Godavari district. Sankar Reddy reportedly assured the Government that he would withdraw his special leave petition pending with the Supreme Court.

The G.O. No. 210 was issued to protect tribais and forests in the agency areas from exploitation by non-tribals and timber merchants. It was based on a similar amendment made by the Madhya Pradesh Government in 1984 to the "protection of Aboriginal Tribes (interest in trees) Act".

The 1988 order amends chapter III-A of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act and states that any power of attorney or authority letters, or bond, or similar deed executed or a contract, licence or any other transaction entered into before or after January 1, 1970, by the land owners in favour of or with a person to act on his behalf or to do any job shall be null and void Furtheremore, no permission shall be granted in a year to cut trees of the value exceeding Rs. 5,000 unless the district collector is satisfied that the value of the trees proposed to be cut exceeding the said limit is necessary to meet the urgent expenses of such owner.

The order helped curb the unscrupulous felling of trees in private forests. The private forests in the areas are held by non-tribals who have managed to obtain settlement pattas. There are stated to be over 300 such illegal settlement pattas in the name of non-tribals.

Sankar Reddy and 18 others, whom he represented as power of attorney, went to the High Court challenging the 1988 order. The writ was struck down.

While the issue was pending in the Supreme Court, Sankar Reddy made a representation to the State Government on March 6, 1990, by which time the Congress-I was in power in the State.

He stated that the Chintalapudi puttadars had been granted ryotwari pattas by the settlement officer in 1975. The pattadars were non-tribals and while some of them had been permitted to fell trees, others were denied permission on the ground that the G.O. of 1988 did not provide for it.

The order of July 9 directs the principal chief conservator of forests to instruct the divisional forests officer of Kakinada not to interfere in the matter of felling of trees and issue of transit permits to the pattadars referred to."

Many of the non-tribal pattadars in the area have obtained pattas illegally. Most of the cases were detected in 1978 in a joint survey by revenue and forest department officials. Many more cases came to the fore during the "Telugu Girijana Magani Samardhana" programme launched in 1987 by the then chief minister N.T. Rama Rao. The programme envisaged granting pattas to the landless Girijans.

So acute did the problem of exploitation of tribals become that the collector of East Godavari, Mr. M.V.P.C. Sastry, wrote to the government in 1987 seeking an amendment to the Forests Act to safeguard the interest of tribals. It was after a detailed study of the problem highlighted by him that the 1988 amendment was made.

The government had now by the fresh orders given scope to the pattadars to self trees on a large scale which will denude rich forests in the district.

Meanwhile, a voluntary organisation called "Sakti", which is working with tribals in Rampachodavaram in East Godavari district, had challenged the last G.O. in the High Court, terming it a "Colourable exercise of power" to benefit an individual.