By S.N.V. SUDHIR

Bispuram, (Visakhapatnam), Aug. 27: The district administration might have thought that it was very easy to make tribals agree for setting up aluminium plant in their Agency area.

The officials banked upon their poverty, illiteracy and innocence. But they were proved wrong.

The officials tried to create an opinion among the tribals that their lives would be changed forever once the Rs 10,000 crore mining project started in the Agency 'area. Convinced of the malleability of the tribals, the officials had decided to take them on a pleasure trip to the public sector Nalco factory at Damanjodi, Orissa where a similar kind of project was established in the tribal areas in early 80s. The trip was organised on August 13.

But to the officials' surprise, none of the tribals was impressed by the Damanjodi project: Rather it scared them. Authorities had taken 46 tribals of Bispuram, the first village to be affected by the proposed project, on the trip. "They did not show us the place where the extraction took place. They just showed us the colourful, decent factory and office premises," said Thamara Chinnayya, one of the tribals who went on the trip said.

Tribals said they observed illiterate tribals were not given importance in jobs at Nalco and questioned the authorities how could they assure a better living or job to the illiterate tribals. Almost all the tribals were illiterate and a few managed to study Class VIII.

The 46 tribals who visited Damanjodi even tested the . water there and observed that it was muddy.

They also alleged the jobs were given to only one person in a family and houses given were small enough to accommodate a nuclear family. Majority of tribals live in large and joint families. Bispuram is a small village with 50 houses and 300 people. Even the rehabilitation package at Nalco was not impressive, many women who went on the trip felt. "Tribals were neglected at Nalco as they were given small shelters. Nontribals were given better houses," said Pangi Ramamma. "We do not know their language. Otherwise we would have gathered more information from them. We came to these conclusions by just having a look at the things there," , said Korra Chinnayya.