Karnataka ranks ninth when it comes to approving functions filed by Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) beneath the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The state has to date acquired a complete of two,81,349 functions pertaining to 16,073 acres from communities until February this yr, out of which 1,80,956 claims had been rejected.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 acknowledges the rights of forest dwelling tribal communities and different conventional forest dwellers to forest sources on which these communities rely for varied wants together with livelihood, housing and different socio-cultural wants.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden Vijaykumar Gogi informed The Indian Express that a lot of the functions filed by STs have been disposed of, however not so with the petitions submitted by individuals from OTFD communities. “It is not only the forest department that has the sole responsibility of accepting applications, the district committees also look after it,” he stated.
The Gram Sabha can also be a extremely empowered physique beneath the Act, enabling the tribal inhabitants to play a decisive position in influencing native insurance policies and plans.
Under the Forest Rights Act, OTFDs are required to show possession of forest land for 3 generations or 75 years previous to 2008 in an effort to declare rights over forest land. Officials stated many functions had been rejected for lack of paperwork, whereas many claims had been bogus.
According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Andhra Pradesh tops the listing relating to clearing functions from communities searching for rights over forest land, adopted by states similar to Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Gujarat within the course of. has accelerated.
Former PCCF (chief of forest drive) BK Singh stated that the FRA has been misused and the communities have rushed to file a declare. He stated politicians from all events have interpreted the FRA as a land distribution train and have set targets for the districts. “This has led to deforestation. After the Congress authorities got here to energy in 2013, there was a wave of unlawful occupation of forest land in Karnataka.
“Shivamogga turned probably the most weak district with huge encroachment. In Shivamogga, Kodagu and Haveri districts, large-scale deforestation came about to assert land possession. “Many false claims were made after the announcement of the FRA,” Singh stated.
Environment lawyer Virendra R Patil stated proceedings carried out by district degree committees constituted beneath the FRA in March, October 2015 and July 2016 discovered that greater than 2,500 acres of forest land had been offered to ineligible individuals in Shivamogga and above. 29 acres of reserved forest land was given to a household which already had adequate land.
“The Deputy Lokayukta report dated February 28, 2018 states that 51,892 cases were registered for encroachment of 86,161.81 acres of forest land in Shivamogga circle alone,” Patil stated.
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
