Leaders of several Adivasi (tribal) organizations and members of the Adivasi Sarpanches Organization (ASO) staged a dharna in front of the district collector’s office here and beset the road for a while on Wednesday in protest against the passage of the Polavaram Bill by Parliament to facilitate the transfer of seven mandals of the Khammam district, which are set to be submerged in the Polvaram project backwaters, to the Residuary Andhra Pradesh state. The protesters came to the collector’s office in a rally from the R&B Guest House. Addressing the protesters, ASO district convener T Chandersavu said that the Union government, which had got the Bill passed by Parliament for the purpose had done so without conducting any ‘grama sabhas’ in the said mandals to elicit the opinions of the to-be-affected tribals. He pointed out that as per the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), any decision/action pertaining to tribal areas could be taken only after conducting such ‘grama sabhas’ and getting their unanimous approvals. Chandersavu also appealed to the Telangana government to file a case in the Supreme Court against the Union Government’s decision/action as more than 1.50 lakh Adivasi families would suffer with the implementation of the same. Also, the Adivasis’ tradition and culture would be badly hit by the implementation of the Polavaram project, he said and added that the displaced Adivasis could not live anywhere else, especially on the plains. He demanded that the Union government should rescind its decision in the matter and put the Bill on hold. It should also get the design of the Polavaram changed, he said and warned that otherwise the Adivasis would launch statewide and nationwide agitations. Adivasi Sankshema Parishad district president Kanaka Yadav Rao and Adima Girijana Employees Association district president Siddam Waman Rao were among those who participated in the protest. No dam please! Bill passage was in violation of PESA Act as no gram sabhas were conducted to elicit unanimous approval of the tribals Adivasis’ tradition and culture would be badly hit by the implementation of the Polavaram project Demand change in the design of the project Tribal organisations allege that Bill was passed without taking into account the opinions of the to-be-affected tribals Adivasis appeal to Telangana govt to approach SC; threaten to hold nationwide agitations