Guttikoyas victims of Maoist purge from Bastar or podu land squatters

Tribals’ Agenda Is To Feed Their Kin: Kothagudem SP

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Hyderabad: Are Guttikoyas, the migrant tribals from Chhattisgarh, just forest encroachers in the name of podu cultivation or are they victims of police-Maoist conflict in Bastar? While there are conflicting views on this, forest land issue in Telangana has huge political connotations.

Speaking at the funeral of forest range officer Ch Srinivasa Rao at Earlapudi village in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, forest minister A Indrakaran Reddy said: “Guttikoya are not Telangana natives. They are migrants and are involved in encroachment of forest. We will take action against them.” Errabodu Guttikoya hamlet of Bendalapadu gram panchayat, where the FRO was killed, was established with migrants from Chhattisgarh.