Land is the most sustainable livelihood. Ownership of land ensures that a rural family can support itself and the generations to come. 2 acres of agricultural land combined with the agricultural skills our village folk possess, produces enough food grains, vegetables and pulses to feed a family. Most families in rural India are landless (or just have a few cents of land) and a majority of these sustain themselves by labouring in other people's farms. They get paid a pittance ($1 – $1.50 a day for men and about 50-75% of that for women) and manage to find jobs only in about 100 days of the year. The rest of the time they are without any income and may even migrate seasonally to far away places in search of labour work.
Support to Kondavedhi tribals for getting ownership rights on 27 acres of land.
Tribal communities Bagatha and Kondadora are living in tribal villages Kamakutam and Kondaveedhi, about 60 Kms from Vishakapatnam. Kamakutam village is part of the Jalampally Mokasa of erst while Madugula estate.
Jalampally mokasa was held by a tribal family belonging to Bagata community. In the year 1946 Banam Jaggayyamma of Jalampally Mokasadar sold off the entire village to a private individual in Anakapalle with out taking the tribal tenets in to confidence. But the same tribals continued as tenants.
Under 1948 Estate Abolition Act, Jamindari system was abolished in V.Madugula mandal and survey settlement took place during 1950-60. During the same period i.e., in 1960 the private individual sold out the entire village to some 'Chowdaries' of East Godavari dist. who in turn got settlement patta in survey settlement form in their name as the tribal tenants are ignorant about the act. From that point onwards 'Chowdaries' started trying to evict the tribals of Kamakutam and Kondavedhi villages fromtheir lands, but in vain with great resistance from the tribal farmers. As a last resort the 'Chowdaries' filed a petition in Chodavaram sub court to vacate the tribals of Kondaveedhi from 27 acres.
From 1994 the APVVU fighting non-violently for the protection of tribal land rights of Kamakutam and Kondaveedhi demanded revenue officials to book the tribals names in the cultivation accounts and succeeded which in turn forced Chowdaries to agree for a compromise formula. The formula forces them to transfer title rights for a small sum of 4,500/- per acre where as the registration value of the land it self is 25,000/- and market value is 60,000/-.The tribals paid 1,21,500/- for 27 acres as per 4,500/- per acre agreed upon.
Advocates of both parties submitted compromise settlement petition in Chodavaram Lok Adalat which suggested that the tribals to also register their land. However land registration costs are very high for the tribal families to afford.
Collaborating with Nisarga Trust, AID supported legal aid to these families who have now requested the court for waiver of the registration costs. Total AID support was Rs 10,000.
Land is the most sustainable livelihood. Ownership of land ensures that a rural family can support itself and the generations to come. 2 acres of agricultural land combined with the agricultural skills our village folk possess, produces enough food grains, vegetables and pulses to feed a family. Most families in rural India are landless (or just have a few cents of land) and a majority of these sustain themselves by labouring in other people's farms. They get paid a pittance ($1 – $1.50 a day for men and about 50-75% of that for women) and manage to find jobs only in about 100 days of the year. The rest of the time they are without any income and may even migrate seasonally to far away places in search of labour work.