Metro India News | Eturunagaram  

Tribals protested with knives and sticks against the Forest officials who had come to demolish their huts near Royyur in Eturunagaram mandal of Mulugu district. The officials who came along with JCB and tractors were sent back by the tribals. Some tribals of Royyur village had erected huts on the nearby land last year for their residence. The tribals alleged that the officials who were from Chhattisgarh were constantly harassing them.

Meanwhile, on Monday morning about 60 to 80 forest officials, employees and 20 policemen came to the area and tried to remove the huts. Angered at this, the tribals protested against the behaviour of the forest officials and prevented the demolition of the huts and also obstructed the JCBs.

They protested with sticks and knives. One of them tried to pour petrol on the employees by saying that they would commit suicide if the huts were demolished. In this process, petrol from a bottle fell on the employees. A clash broke out between the forest department officials and the tribals for about two hours. The forest department officials retreated in a hopeless situation.

The tribals are complaining that the forest department officials were causing trouble by trying to remove their huts. They warned that if the officials try to demolish their huts again, they would re-launch their agitation.