Forest Rights Act set to give tribals their dues
Pioneer News Service
Nayagarh: In a belated move, the forest-dwelling tribals and other traditional forest-dwellers of Nayagarh are going to realise their traditional community rights over forestland following the introduction of Forest Rights Act, 2006.
With the enactment of the Act, various forest protecting communalities have come forward with their claims over their rights of non-timber forest produces, water sources in the forests, meadows and grazing lands and other traditional rights that they had been enjoying since the beginning.
Forest-dwellers of five villages of three gram panchyats, including Kridaspur, Godiput and Rasanga, have forwarded their claims to the Sub-Collector, who is the chairman of sub-divisional level committee.
The Jangal Suraksha Mahasangh facilitated the entire process and organised meetings to sensitise the communities at village and Gram Panchayat level.
The district administration is taking steps to accept more claims in near future.
The major hindrances, however, are that the Forest Rights Committee building process was not as per the rule and there was no quorum in the Palli Sabhas organised in March. Further, in some villages, a conflicting situation appears to arise as a Forest Protection Committee already exists. Even in some villages, no FRCs has been constituted as yet.
The activists of the Mahasangh and the personnel from the Regional Centre for Development Cooperation, Bhubaneswar, are trying to remove the impediments and possible conflicts and guide them to apply for their claims in a united manner.
The Government has, however, now recognised the FRCs at the village level. The sub-committees are also constituted.
The Sub-Collector appreciated the efforts of the people, functionaries of the Mahasangh and RCDC and accepted the claims. He requested for filing of more claims, particularly from Nayagarh, Gania and Daspalla.
June 26,
Source: Daily Pioneer.com |
