Implement Forests Act, demand farmers

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 11

Hundreds of people on Tuesday gathered outside the Vidhan Sabha at Tapovan Dharamsala, with a demand to implement the Forests Rights Act. The demonstration was organised by Kisan Sabha, Baijnath, and supported by forest rights committees of the districts of Chamba, Kangra (Multan and Baijnath), Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi and Kullu.

Akshay Jasrotia, who led the protest, alleged that the state government had been dragging its feet on the implementation of the Act for the last 10 years. Only 129 claims on forest land had been given titles till date. This Act was very important for Himachal as 70 per cent of the land was forest land, he said.

Jasrotia said that when the government was implementing section 3(2) of the Forest Rights Act for diversion of forest land for village development activities then why is it not implementing the section 3(1) which gives rights to eligible occupants on forest land. The administration in the state has been slow because of several misconceptions about the Act and people’s eligibility. The reality is that lakhs of people in Himachal have been occupying forest land without titles for decades, he said.

Due to the 1980 Forest Conservation Act the nautor process remained incomplete as this Act does not allow diversion of forest land without the permission of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.