Overview
- Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu chaired a review of tribal welfare that on Monday directed officials to identify all legally viable ways to deliver the benefits that G.O. No.3 had provided before the Supreme Court struck it down.
- The government has ordered immediate consultations with tribal organisations and asked the Tribal Welfare Department to formally invite unions and tribal representatives for talks to shape responses to the court judgment.
- Officials were told to clearly reassure communities that the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation, 1959 (the '1/70' rule) will be respected and that no decisions on bauxite mining will be taken that violate tribal rights or sentiments.
- Naidu also directed administrative changes to district zonal designations, instructing that Alluri Sitarama Raju district be placed in Zone-I and Polavaram district in Zone-II, and pressed for faster implementation of welfare measures such as health, education and local livelihoods.
- The Supreme Court struck down G.O. No.3 in April 2020, removing a 100% reservation for local Scheduled Tribe candidates in certain teaching posts, so the state’s current effort focuses on crafting solutions that fit the court’s constitutional framework while addressing long-running land and mining disputes.