ADILABAD: Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission chairman M. Kodanda Reddy on Friday asked forest officials to respect the traditional way of life of Adivasis and protect their land rights. Addressing a review meeting on issues faced by Adivasis and tribal farmers at Utnoor, Kodanda Reddy said government departments had a responsibility to safeguard tribal land rights while preserving their culture and traditions. Khanapur MLA Vedma Bojju urged officials to promote traditional and organic farming among Adivasi farmers to improve soil fertility and revive indigenous cultivation methods. He said tribal communities had earlier depended on organic farming supported by large livestock populations, but had gradually shifted to chemical fertilisers and pesticides as livestock numbers declined. Reddy and M. Bhavani Reddy, among others, attended the meeting.