Govt. urged to issue guidelines to implement Forest Rights Act

NGO says local officials do not recognise habitat rights of adivasis

Peeved by the apathy of the local officials in recognising the habitat rights of adivasis, the government has been urged to issue proper guidelines and provide training for officials on the various provisions of the Forest Rights Act 2006.

The Hunsur-based NGO Development through Education (DEED) has drawn the attention of the Chairperson of the Committee on Habitat Rights under the Ministry of Tribals, Government of India, to this issue. It said that the officials in the Forest Rights Committee at various levels should be trained and guidelines issued on the recognition of the habitat rights of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups under the FRA 2006.

S. Sreekanth of DEED said that in south Karnataka the Jenukurubas were spread across three districts of Kodagu, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar and their population numbered about one lakh spread across 285 hamlets and constituted the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).

The PVTGs are dependent on Bandipur National Park and Nagarahole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi) besides some reserve forests in the vicinity for their livelihood but the Forest Department prevented them from collecting non-timber forest products (NTFP), according to DEED.

It said the Jenukurubas have been displaced from their traditional land without rehabilitation package in early 1972 consequent to the enactment of the the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972, and have been living on the fringes of the parks and worked as daily wagers, since the last 47 years.

Though they are entitled to habitat rights as per FRA 2006, Community Forest Rights claims submitted through the grama sabhas to the forest rights committees have been rejected. Attributing the decision to the handiwork of the wildlife lobby, DEED questioned the rationale of the forest rights committees in rejecting the tribals claims for habitats rights which is provided under section 3 (1) (m) of FRA 2006. It said FRA 2006 not been implemented properly in Karnataka and tribals are deprived of decent life as per the provision of constitution.

Hence the ministry was asked to issue proper guidelines besides training members and officials of grama sabhas and to recognise the habitat rights of the PVTGs communities.

Citing the law and various provisions of the act, Mr. Sreekanth said habitat rights include all traditional practices followed by the community in their ancestral land, worship, fishing, collection of NTFP such ashoney, edible leaves, roots, fodder, and gooseberry, and use of burial grounds.

Source: Read Full Article