The one-day bandh call given by tribal associations, demanding constitutional amendment to the Go.No.3 that was scrapped by the apex court in April, received a warm response from all quarters of life in the East Godavari agency on Tuesday.
The Go.No.3 Sadhana Committee members have led the bandh in the agency, during which all the government offices including head offices of ITDA-Rampachodavaram and Chintoor were closed till afternoon. All the commercial establishments have also been closed, extending support to the bandh.
However, the protesters who blocked the main roads did not stop the inter-State bus services while all the bus services within the agency were halted. The fleet of APSRTC bus services remain parked in the Gokavaram bus depot for half day.
In Rampa agency, CPM party District Committee Member M. Subramanyam and other tribal leaders visited all the government offices and banks seeking their support to observe the bandh by closing down the office on Tuesday.
Mr. Subramanyam told The Hindu over phone, "The scrapping of Go.No.3 by the apex court will deprive the employment opportunities for the educated tribal youth in future.”
The Go.No.3 (Issued in 2000) says - “All posts of teachers in the schools situated in Scheduled areas in the State of Andhra Pradesh shall be filled in by the local Scheduled Tribe candidates only".
Tribal rights activist from Rampachodavaram, Balu Akkisa, said, "The eligible tribal families should be allowed to claim the land for their livelihood under the ST & Other Forest Dwellers Act, 2006. The State government should offer a fair resettlement package to the oustees of the Polavaram irrigation project".
The bandh was observed peacefully across the agency without any untoward incident. The members of various tribal welfare associations have joined the bandh.
