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The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
In Telangana's Mulugu, containers crack the access code in cut-off tribal hamlets
In the thick of Telangana's forest belt, where rivers swell and roads vanish during the monsoon, a new kind of lifeline has emerged — one that comes in a metal box. For Allem Roja, a 30-year-old Koya Adivasi woman from Pochapur hamlet in SS Tadvai mandal of Mulugu district, reaching a hospital used to be an ordeal. The local government primary health centre (PHC) is just 5 kilometres away, but without a bridge or a proper road, especially in the rains, it may as well have been in another world. 'Now, with this container health centre in our village, we are able to get first-aid and treatment for fevers and minor ailments right here,' says Roja, cradling her one-year-old daughter during a visit to the facility with mild fever and fatigue on July 31. Following a general check-up, medical officer at the Kodishala PHC, B. Pavan Kumar prescribes her medicines and rest. Everything she needs is provided on the spot. The container clinic is a modest, prefabricated unit set up in July 2024 to serve forest-fringe hamlets like Pochapur that lie within the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the first such healthcare facility in Telangana — a pilot effort driven by local MLA and Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Danasari Anasuya, better known as Seethakka. The initiative has reached far beyond Pochapur, extending its impact to several sparsely populated hamlets and Gotti Koya gudems — settlements of an indigenous tribe originally from Chhattisgarh. These communities migrated here in the mid-2000s after fleeing violent clashes between the outlawed CPI (Maoist) and security forces. Among those forces was the Salwa Judum, a controversial, state-backed anti-Maoist militia formed in 2005, which displaced thousands of tribal families. Today, many of those who escaped the conflict have resettled in these forested parts of Mulugu district, nearly 80% of which lies within dense jungle terrain. But prefabricated container-based centres, both for health and education, are now rewriting what is possible for these long-neglected settlements. 'Minister Seethakka inuagurated this first-of-its-kind facility on July 13 last year just before the monsoon,' says Dr. Pavan Kumar. 'In one year, we have treated around 3,000 patients, including 457 fever cases. We conducted rapid diagnostic tests for 448 people and found six cases of malaria — three each of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. Only two patients needed referral to higher centres,' he points out. The facility, which operates as a sub-centre under Kodishala PHC, also handled 12 antenatal and seven postnatal cases. Dr. Pavan Kumar visits the centre twice a week, supported by an Auxiliary Nursing Midwife (ANM) and five Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). 'It covers five villages of Pochapur, Narsapur, Aligudem, Bandala and Bollepalli, all under Bandala gram panchayat,' he says. A health system made of steel The idea, according to District Collector T.S. Divakara, was born out of pure necessity as people couldn't travel even 5 kilometres to Kodishala or 35 kilometres to Pasra town through forest terrain, especially during the rains: 'Permanent structures are not allowed inside the sanctuary due to forest regulations. So we thought, why not a container?' Built at a cost of ₹7 lakh, the structure houses four beds and a small laboratory with washrooms available right outside. It may not be fancy, but it has been transformational for many. Allem Ashok, a young post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Kakatiya University, Warangal, and native of Pochapur, says absenteeism among staff at the main PHC in Kodishala remains an issue. 'I have filed several complaints with the District Medical & Health Officer and the Collector,' he says while acknowledging the container facility as a welcome change. 'Many of us avoid going to hospitals as we rely on herbal remedies passed down by our elders,' says Kursam Bikshapathi, another local resident. But when emergencies do occur, the barriers are real. Just last month, a pregnant woman named Gummadi Krishnaveni from Aligudem was carried through waist-deep floodwaters by family members and neighbours to reach the nearest motorable road at Bollepalli. The kutcha road was submerged and impassable. She was eventually taken to the Government Area Hospital in Mulugu in an ambulance. The incident triggered criticism of the Kodishala PHC staff, particularly because Krishnaveni herself worked as an ANM at the Pochapur container facility. Some locals accused the health staff of negligence. Denying the allegations, Dr. Pavan Kumar says Krishnaveni, then 28 weeks pregnant, had gone into premature labour in the early hours of July 24. 'Our team reached her with help from locals despite the flood. She was shifted first to the Government General Hospital, Mulugu, and then referred to the Government Maternity Hospital in Warangal,' he adds. He emphasises that as per the Collector's instructions, pregnant women nearing full term (34-40 weeks) had already been moved to safer locations due to the floods. 'This was a rare pre-term case but it was handled promptly.' Beyond healthcare, the Minister's container initiative has expanded to include education. Work is under way on a cement concrete road connecting Kodishala to Pochapur, and bridges are being constructed across several streams. 'We got the idea last monsoon,' recalls Seethakka, who belongs to the Koya tribal community and was a former Naxalite. 'I know these hamlets and their struggles; I grew up here and worked as a revolutionary among them. When the Collector mentioned using containers like we had for an Anganwadi in my village, it clicked.' The first container facility came up in just 20 days. Two more have since been established — at Ilapuram in Kannaigudem mandal on the banks of river Godavari and at Edjarlapalle in Wazeedu mandal. Pucca houses under the Indiramma Housing scheme are also being allotted to eligible families, with 5,000 sanctioned in the first phase for Mulugu district. 'Our goal is to improve living conditions in these Agency areas, from housing to schools to healthcare, considering the backwardness of the district. We are also promoting eco-tourism in places like Laknavaram Lake, Tadvi forest and Bogatha waterfall,' Seethakka says. She also highlights Mulugu's cultural importance: 'We have the UNESCO-recognised Ramappa Temple and host Asia's largest tribal congregation — the biannual Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara at Medaram.' Education in a box Following the health centres, Telangana's first container school came up at Bangarupalle, a hamlet in Kannaigudem mandal in September last year. Earlier, students of this government primary school used to attend classes under a leaking thatched roof. Built in 10 days at a cost of ₹13.5 lakh, the 25x25 ft container now serves 21 students from nursery to Class 5 and is equipped with a digital board, solar panels, and basic furniture. 'Earlier, classes would be suspended if it rained due to roof leakage. Now it is a proper school,' says former village sarpanch Chinta Chandraiah. The students belong mainly to the Gotti Koya community, which settled here 25 years ago after their migration from Chhattisgarh. Teachers say the digital board, powered by the rooftop solar panels, has improved student engagement, though forest laws still prevent power lines from being laid. The hamlet has just 37 families and remains cut off during rains due to swollen streams. Teachers often struggle to reach the school. One of them, A. Saraswathi, commutes daily on a motorcycle with her husband by navigating the dangerous terrain. 'Now, we are not scared of snakes or any other poisonous creatures entering the school unlike in the past,' she says. But Seethakka believes more needs to change. 'The Centre has relaxed rules for mining in forest areas but not for essential public services. Without roads, development is not possible. Forest laws should not block electricity, hospitals, or schools for tribal communities,' she says, calling for amendments to forest regulations that prevent basic infrastructure in tribal areas. She urges that electricity be provided through solar power systems and boundaries be clearly marked for tribal farmland to avoid disputes. Her consistent push appears to be paying off. On August 3, the Telangana State Board for Wildlife cleared several long-pending development works in Mulugu's Agency areas, including new roads, a 30-bed hospital in Pakhal Kothaguda (in neighbouring Mahabubabad district) and safari vehicles for promoting eco-tourism in SS Tadvai and Eturnagaram mandals. A model in the making Collector Divakara says while container-based services are not permanent solutions, they are practical given Mulugu's terrain and restrictions. As per the 2011 Census, the population of the district stood at 2.94 lakh, spread across 75,600 families. Scheduled Tribes constitute 29.36% of the total population. More container schools are in the pipeline, including one in Eturnagaram mandal with corporate social responsibility funds from ECIL. 'We are glad the Integrated Tribal Development Agency in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is adopting our model,' says the Collector. In these forests where roads are scarce and help scarcer still, a steel container means more than convenience; it means dignity. Where floods cut off access and trust in systems runs low, the container isn't a stopgap. It is a sign that the State hasn't looked away. Not a miracle, but a beginning for sure.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Minister Seethakka issues instructions for equal pay to field assistants
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) has instructed officials to implement equal pay for all 7,111 field assistants currently working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the State by bringing them under one category. After listening to their grievances at the Secretariat on Wednesday, she also suggested revoking a circular, which led to the dismissal of several field assistants by the previous government. She ordered a detailed probe into the feasibility of reappointing the dismissed field assistants and directed officials to study the issue of converting field assistants into fixed-tenure employees, salary hikes, and other related legal and financial matters. She also directed officials to ensure the direct crediting of salaries into the accounts of 540 Mandal Computer Centre (MCC) attendants working under the MGNREGS. The Minister announced that transfers would be done as per the field assistants' request and promised to offer group insurance, health insurance and health cards for field assistants. Ms. Seethakka also said that the proposal for increasing ex gratia from ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh for field assistants and handing over mobile phones to field assistants for recording attendance would be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting.
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Cheyutha pension to 681 more dialysis patients in Telangana
The State government has sanctioned Cheyutha pension to 681 more dialysis patients, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 8,721. Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Seethakka has signed a file to this effect on Monday. Prior to the Congress government coming to power, the number of dialysis patients receiving pension was 4,011. The Congress government had earlier sanctioned pensions to 4,029 patients, and with this recent sanction, the total number has increased. The pensions were sanctioned by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) based on the details of patients receiving treatment in hospitals recognized by the Rajiv Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust. The majority of the newly sanctioned beneficiaries, 629, are availing treatment in hospitals in Hyderabad, while 52 are from other districts. The government has taken this decision to support patients who are unable to work full-time due to health issues. The beneficiaries will start receiving a monthly pension of ₹4,000 from next month. Minister Seethakka said this move demonstrates the government's commitment to providing both health security and financial security to its citizens.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh aims to promote horticulture in one lakh acres under MGNREGS
In a major push to strengthen the rural economy, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has launched an ambitious horticulture plantation drive under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), tailored to each region's agro-climatic strengths, with a target of taking up the exercise in one lakh acres across the State. The initiative is designed not only to create durable livelihood assets but also to generate long-term income for small and marginal farmers, Shashibhushan Kumar , Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, told The Hindu. As per the region-wise crop strategy, North Andhra will see the plantation of cashew, mango, coconut, acid lime, guava, seethaphal, tamarind, silver oak, and rubber. Coastal Andhra will focus on mango, cashew, acid lime, guava, coconut, sapota, pomegranate, and cocoa, while Rayalaseema is expected to grow mango, sweet orange, acid lime, guava, sapota and pomegranate. These region-specific choices aim to maximise productivity and ecological compatibility. Mr. Shashibhushan Kumar said the selection of fruit crop species would be as per the choice of the beneficiary, and had the recommendation of the horticulture officer on the soil suitability and availability of water. Farmers would be encouraged in perennial horticulture crops such as fruit trees, commercial crops and floriculture. A key highlight of this year's programme was a mega plantation drive held on July 8, which covered 25,000 acres in a single day across the State, he added. The official launch was conducted at Veerapanenigudem village in Krishna district, where mango saplings were planted in the field of a local farmer by Mr. Shashibhushan Kumar, along with senior IAS and IFS officers and local dignitaries. In FY 2024–25, an extent of 63,582 acres were brought under horticulture plantations benefiting 41,008 farmers. For FY 2025–26, the State targets 1,00,000 acres. Since the inception of the programme, plantations had been raised on 7.69 lakh acres, benefiting 4.65 lakh farmers, he explained. Under the initiative, each eligible beneficiary can cultivate fruit-bearing trees on 0.25 acres to 5 acres. Financial assistance of up to ₹1.09 lakh per acre over three years will cover inputs such as land preparation, saplings, manures, watering, and fencing. Only plantations with 50% or higher survival rate, monitored via a mobile app, will qualify for continued support. The programme aims to transition rural employment from seasonal wage support to recurring agricultural income, with expected earnings of ₹80,000 to ₹1,00,000 per acre per annum post-harvest. Additionally, technical support, high-quality planting materials, and training are being provided in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture. The Principal Secretary observed that by blending employment with asset creation, the Andhra Pradesh government was transforming MGNREGS into a long-term livelihood enabler, promising both economic growth and environmental sustainability.
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Cybercriminals impersonate Telangana W&CD director; case registered
HYDERABAD: Cybercrime police have registered a case against unidentified cyber fraudsters for impersonating Dr G Srijana, director (FAC) of Women & Child Development (W&CD) and director of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR&RD) department, and seeking financial favours from her subordinates. The case was filed under Section 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 319(2) of the BNS based on a complaint. According to the police, several district welfare officers (DWOs) from Jangaon, Khammam and other districts received WhatsApp messages on Tuesday from unknown numbers using Dr Srijana's name and photo, requesting money. An investigation is underway to identify and nab the accused.
