The Telangana Forest Department on Monday, 1 July carried out a mass plantation drive in Komaram Bheem's Sirpur Kagaznagar block in Asifabad, where C Anitha, a forest range officer had been attacked on Sunday, ANI reports said.
Around 400 officials from the forest department and the police department planted saplings on 20 hectares of land, in a bid to save the land from future encroachment. Forest department staff from nearby also joined in the effort to show solidarity with the local staff.
According to Parveen Kaswan, an IFS officer, senior officials from nearby, the Chief Conservator of forest and nearby posted DFOs were also on the spot.
He tweeted about the drive, calling it a “much required step & befitting reply.”
Kaswan also said that the drive was a much required step for boosting the morale of local staff.
In a separate incident, two forest officials were attacked on Monday night when they stopped some people from ploughing forest land with a tractor, in Gundalapadu Village of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The two officers have lodged a complaint at Mulakalapalli police station.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
Anitha was attacked on Sunday by a mob led by a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader while she was discharging her duties.
She had gone to Sarasala village with some officials to plant saplings as part of the government's 'Haritha Haram' green initiative programme when some people, led by Krishna, attacked them with bamboo poles, claiming that the land belonged to them.
Anitha had to be hospitalised, according to a forest official, reported PTI. Telangana Principal Chief Conservator of Forest PK Jha said the land where the officials went belonged to the forest department and that the MLA was also informed about it.
Video footage of the incident went viral.
WHAT DID ANITHA SAY?
Speaking to the media on Monday, she demanded action against the MLA. The mob was allegedly led by Krishna Rao, the brother of a ruling TRS MLA Koneru Kannappa, PTI reported.
“We are public servants, we were doing our duty. The party should take action against the MLA. This attack wasn't an attack on me, it is an attack on the uniform,” Anitha had said on Monday, according to ANI.
She was discharged on Tuesday from KIMS Hospital in Hyderabad, where she was receiving treatment after the attack.
WHAT DID THE VIDEO SHOW?
The video footage showed Anitha climbing a tractor to escape and Krishna and other villagers attacking the vehicle. An unidentified man is then seen hitting the official with a stick.
Speaking to reporters at the hospital, Anitha said Krishna first hit her with a bamboo stick. This was then followed by the others in the group.
WHAT ACTION WAS TAKEN?
After video footage of the attack on Anitha went viral, police arrested Koneru Krishna Rao, brother of Sirpur MLA Koneru Kannappa, and 13 others on attempt to murder and rioting charges among others.
The ruling government on Monday,1 July, said in the Rajya Sabha that it has taken serious note of the assault and will do whatever possible as a regulator. During the question hour Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said such incidents cannot be tolerated.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Kagaznagar Sambaih and Inspector Venkatesh were suspended for negligence on duty in connection with the attack, according to a police release on Sunday night, PTI reported.
The accused have also been booked under IPC sections that relate to preventing a public servant from discharging their duties.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president KT Rama Rao condemned the attack and said no one was above the law even as opposition Congress and BJP slammed Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s government.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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