Coffee plantation near Vizag under control of Maoists

By SNV Sudhir

GK Veedhi (Vizag Agency), Aug 30: Government gave away a huge chunk ofcoffee plantation to the outlawed Maoists in the Agency tracts of thisdistrict offering little resistance. The Maoists now own huge chunks ofthe plantation though the officials confess that only 160 acres ofplantation was under a short of dispute. A visit by this correspondentfound that a part of Kumkumpudi and Marripakala coffee estate in this GKVeedhi mandal, which buzzed with round the clock activity of plantationtill 3 months back, has literally turned into a no man zone now. The staffof AP Forest Development Corporation and local tribals working in thoseplantations dares not to step into these fields spread around in 160acres. The Maoists of east division sent an ultimatum a few months backwarning the APFDC, which is the leased owner of the reserve forest, toleave the fields to the local tribals. They also told the tribal labourersnot to go for work. The west division coffee plantation of APFDC has RVNagar, Gudem I, II, Lanakalapalem and Kumkumpudi estates. The totalplantation in these estates extends to 2, 600 acres of reserve forestwhere the coffee seeds of international repute are produced. The coffeeseeds that are cultivated in these plantations are exported to manycountries through Banglore and Chennai based agencies who buy them fromthe APFDC. Around 3 tonnes of coffee seeds are produced in the westdivision which fetches Rs 2 to 3 crores per anum. The APFDC is the biggestemployer in the agency and 1,000 tribals are employed in west divisionplantations.Around 200 tribals belonging to seven to eight surrounding villages, whowere working in 160 acres of Kumkumpudi estate where the naxals gainedupper hand recently, are sitting idle.Though it was a long pending demand by the naxals of the Vizag Agency ofdistribution of coffee plantation in the Agency to the tribals, it was nottaken seriously by the government. But recently naxals have sent a word toAPFDC officials through the lower staff not to enter the fields. Thiscorrespondent could see two red flags pitched by the extremists and alsosome marking stones in the hillock of approximate 160 acres where no onedares to enter. “They told us not to work in the coffee fields of APFDC instead theypromised to distribute these lands to us so that we can take up thecoffee cultivation on our own. But we cannot take up the cultivation asit needs expertise and it’s not that easy. We are in a confused state. Wecan’t ignore the warnings of the naxals and also cannot sit back at home.We already lost daily wages since 2 months. I don’t know when thisproblem will be solved,” said Somra (name changed), a native Kondh tribalof Cheepurugondi.The outlawed Maoists have also pitched a red flag on the most advancedcoffee-pulping unit acquired by the APFDC recently. “We are not able tounderstand what to do now. No one dares to go there. Entire plantationwork in these 160 acres came to a standstill since 2 months. We arehelpless,” said an APFDC official under the conditions of anonymity who isin a grip of fear. The works of fertilization, weeding, handling, whichhas to be carried in this season was stopped here.At this juncture the GK Veedhi police had stepped in and startedcounseling sessions to the tribals of these surrounding villages tomotivate them to get back to work. Police are also explaining them theconsequences which would arise if they occupied those plantations at thebehest of the naxals. “For the past few months we are going into thesevillages and conducting counseling sessions to these tribals.. They arealso losing daily wages for not attending the regular work,” said the GKVeedhi SI, K Srinivasa Rao. APFDC pays Rs 84.85 paise per day to alabourer.The Officer on Special Duty of the police department, Ch Srikanth saidthat they took a step further and started counseling the tribals in orderto motivate them to join work. “We are here to provide security toeveryone. It’s true that a problem cropped up in this particular area withthe support of some external forces. We are on our job and will definitelysort out it very soon. And as part of it we are conducting counseling”said the senior police official.