Tribal land justice elusive in Andhra: Fraud committed as old revenue records are digitised

By Dr. Palla Trinadha Rao 

Many Adivasi (tribal) families living in tribal villages outside the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh have been pleading with the government for years to resolve their land issues. For them, justice has remained elusive. Due to the apathy, inconsistent approaches, and lack of sincerity among revenue officials, tribal land issues have become more complicated.

As part of digitizing old revenue records related to land ownership, cultivation, and nature of cultivation, many vested interests have committed fraud. The land related information recorded in handwritten Adangal documents no longer matches the data in the digital Webland Adangal. Revenue officials continue to show negligence in rectifying these discrepancies.

Because actual cultivation by tribals is not reflected in the revenue records, land justice either from revenue administrative apparatus or access to legal remedies through courts becomes almost impossible. The legal system's preference for documentary evidence over oral or ground-level reality has denied justice to the poor, especially tribals. Since tribals value verbal evidence as per their traditions and often cannot provide documentary evidence, for which they are unable secure land justice. A judicial system that relies solely on revenue records—regardless of actual land use—has become a curse for them.

In some cases, even when tribal families are cultivating land, the land titles (pattas) are granted in the names of other tribal families or non tribals creating social tensions. Without proper field investigation before registering cultivators' names in revenue records, land disputes continue to increase.

During a recent visit to the tribal hamlet of Kottaveedhi in Konam revenue village, Chidikada Mandal, Anakapalli district, the author found many such issues in the District. Kondh (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) tribals who have been cultivating land for over three decades in Survey No. 289 are not recorded in the revenue records, while other names appear instead—highlighting the severity of the land problem.

Similar issues exist in hamlets like Vakapalli, Gudivada, Jajulapalem, Kondala Kothuru, and Gunti of Konam Revenue Village. In Survey Nos. 275 and 287 of Gunti, around 17.78 acres of government land are under tribal cultivation, but about 32.51 acres are recorded in the names of non tribals. Revenue officials  are maintaining silence over these facts in civil court cases, and tribals' pleas for surveys to reflect real cultivation have gone unheard.

These are not isolated incidents. In various Mandals of Anakapalli adjoining Scheduled Areas of other district, tribal land issues are rampant. But there seems to be no authority to resolve them.

In V. Maddiguda Mandal, tribals from hamlets like Jalampalli, Butla Jalampalli, and Goppulapalem are demanding pattas on ceiling lands (LCC No. 1079/CMD/75) they are cultivating. In the same Mandal, lands allotted to displaced tribals from the Pedderu project have been alienated.. Tribals of Kamakutam village are requesting surveys for various survey numbers, including 6, 9, 10, 13–15, and 20. In Survey No. 3, nine tribals cultivating the land are demanding that their cultivation be officially recorded in revenue records.

Pedderu project-displaced tribals from Goppulapalem are cultivating land in Kamakutam's Survey No. 1, but they lack pattas—while pattas were issued to other displaced families on the same land. In Survey No. 17, though 3.30 acres are village community land, the resurvey listed 3.55 acres as patta land under LP Nos. 36 and 37, but no name was registered. Houses exist on these 3.30 acres, and the record must be corrected.

In Jalampalli village, a tribal named Solam Demudu is cultivating government banjar land and seeking a patta. Yet, officials are delaying even enjoyment based land surveys. In Kurmanadhapuram, tribals have petitioned for lands in several survey numbers, but there's no response. In Shankaram village, 10 tribal families of rajampeta habitation are cultivating 31.13 acres across Survey Nos. 188-1, 204, 205, and 206-1, and the Tahsildar has acknowledged their cultivation (RC No. 244/2022/SA/4-7-2022), but it is not being recorded.

Other tribals in Rayipalem and Krishnapalem villages in the same revenue village are also seeking recognition of their cultivation. Even though Lakshmipeta tribals are cultivating ceiling surplus lands adjoining their village, authorities neither record their cultivation nor cancel pattas granted to others—despite ongoing civil cases.

In Dharamavaram village of Ravikamatham Mandal, D-pattas issued on ceiling surplus lands are being shown as zeroiti lands in 1B records under Khata No. 1031 and Survey Nos. 129-2 and 129-4. Tribals are demanding investigation into this record mismatch. In Peddagaruvu hamlet of Cheemalapadu revenue village, pattas were issued to outsiders even though tribals are cultivating the lands (Survey Nos. 362-1, 362-2, 361-4). A case is pending in the High Court. Meanwhile, the lands were listed under “Freehold.” Tribals are demanding their removal from that list and inclusion in the “Dispute Register.”

In Rochupanuku , six tribals have D-form pattas in Survey Nos. 434-9, 11-2, 3-6, 3-3, 8-6, and 433-4, but these are not recorded online, depriving them of government support. Others like Vaddela Seethamma have requested that their cultivation be recorded. Seven other families have requested pattas for cultivation on land in Valasapalem (Survey Nos. 288-6, 312-1, 311-1, 284-5, 284-7, 311-2). In Thatiparthi village, Sural Polamma is requesting online registration of her D-patta land (Survey No. 476-3). Eleven more tribals from the same village are asking for cultivation and pattas to be officially registered.

In Pedda Peta, Rolugunta Mandal, 20.67 acres of government land (Survey Nos. 32-2G, 23-2, 23-4, etc.) are under tribal cultivation, but pattas were issued to non local non-tribals. Tribals are demanding the cancellation of those pattas. Gadabapalem tribals (PVTG) in Arla village request that their cultivation in various survey numbers be recorded in Adangal.

In Golugonda Mandal's Patha Mallampeta village (Survey No. 850-1), Gadabapalem tribals are cultivating up to 36 acres, but the land is recorded under others' names. A civil case is ongoing. They request that their cultivation be recorded in the Adangal record. Other such tribal land issues exist in Nathavaram Mandal also. 

If revenue officials do not conduct field surveys and resolve tribal land problems, their livelihoods will be at risk. Though there are tribal protective land transfer regulations like 1 of 70  in  the Scheduled Areas, such safeguards don’t exist in non-Scheduled tribal areas, leaving their land rights uncertain. District-level officials must pay urgent attention and work to resolve these issues quickly.