Twenty-three Adivasi women were summoned to the Indhanpalli forest range office in Jannaram forest division and asked to pay Rs 5,000 each for allegedly fishing in the Kawal tiger reserve two days ago. The Adivasi women of Indhanpalli Naika puguda village alleged that the forest officials were harassing them to pay the Rs 5,000 fine.
They travelled in the summer sun to the forest office to plead their case on Friday but the officials did not meet them. The women returned on Saturday to plead with officials to not book cases on them.
They said fishing in the tanks in forest areas and near their villages was a tradition during summer, and not a new practice, adding they were collecting bidi leaves, bamboo and other forest produce from time immemorial but forest officials were now imposing restrictions on their entry into the forests and the tiger reserve.