Reservations sought for tribals in plain areas
Addressing a roundtable conference organised on Sunday by GPS State president Raju Naik and State general secretary Ravi, Sankar Naik urged both Central and State governments to ensure protection of tribal rights, emphasising the need for legislative representation to prevent misallocation of tribal welfare funds. During his address, Sankar Naik expressed concern over the continued neglect of tribal communities even after 78 years of Independence. He pointed out that lakhs of tribals still lack basic amenities, Aadhaar cards, and ration cards, excluding them from welfare schemes.
He emphasised the necessity of political representation to safeguard the rightful allocation of government funds meant for tribal development.
GPS State president Raju Naik highlighted the historical injustice suffered by plain area tribals. He explained that between 1962 and 1967, four Assembly constituencies in plain areas — Kadiri, Kavali, Macherla, and Jaggayyapet — had tribal reservations.
However, the shift to State-level reservation in 1967 confined political representation solely to Agency areas, sidelining tribals in plain regions. He called upon the community to use the upcoming expansion of Assembly seats to 225 as an opportunity to demand equitable representation.
As part of this renewed movement, leaders launched the 'Praja Chaitanya Yatra' to raise awareness among tribal communities. Posters for the campaign were unveiled at the event, which saw participation from key representatives of tribal organisations across the State, including the National Tribal Federation and All India Banjara Seva Sangam.
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