Speed up Forest Act implementation: NGOs

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 21

Twenty-three NGOs, under the banner of Himachal Van Adhikar Manch, today sought Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s intervention in speeding up the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

“We observed that the Act has been misconceived and the matter should be tabled before the Cabinet to give justice to the people of the state,” said Uma Mahajan, spokesperson, Himachal Van Adhikar Manch.

The manch submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after the state government’s promise to allot nautor land to over 22,000 tribals hit a roadblock. The Governor had sent the file related to the nautor land to the Ministry of Home Affairs, sources said.

The manch and NGO representatives urged the Chief Minister to direct the Forest Department to constitute forest rights committees (FRCs) as mentioned in Rule 2A of the Act.

“The Commissioner, Tribal Development Department, had asked the state government to file “fresh claims in compliance with the procedure under the Forest Rights Act and as per the affidavit filed by the state government in the Supreme Court,” the mach stated.

It said villagers needed training in filing claims under the Act. Gaddis, Gujjars, non-tribal pastoral communities and Dalits have not been able to file their claims as they are not aware of the Act.

The manch stated that a majority of the state’s non-tribal population depended on forest lands for bona fide needs and they fell in the category of other forest dwellers.

The manch urged the Chief Minister to withdraw the Forest Department’s guidelines related to the eligibility of claimants.

The NGOs signing the memorandum include People’s Action for People’s Need, Sirmaur, People’s Campaign for Socio-Economic Equality, Palampur, Kisan Sabha Committee, Baijnath, Grameen Bhakra Visthapit Sanghatan, Bilaspur, President, Mahila Congress Committee, Kullu, State President, Mahila Congress, Himdhara, Palampur, Akhil Bharti Gujjar Maha Sabha, Chamba, Legal Cell, Himachal Congress, PAHAD, Karsog, State President Himachal Kisan Sabha, Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti, All India Democratic Women’s Association, Himachal, Sangam Environment Awareness Society, Shimla, Action Aid, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati, Jan Jagran Evam Vikas Sanshta, Kullu, Pangi Welfare Association Chamba and others.