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FRA spirits diluted, thanks to Forest Dept's colonial mindset
August 29, 2011 10:45:38 PM
DEVELOPMENT DEFICIT
FRA spirits diluted, thanks to Forest Dept's colonial mindset
August 29, 2011 10:45:38 PM
DEVELOPMENT DEFICIT
BY SUDARSHAN CHHOTORAY
Amajhola is a small and a sleepy village situated in the foothills of Karlapat Sanctuary. The picturesque hilly tracks on the banks of river Nagabali are known for dense forests and thickly populated tribal hamlets.
The village under Nakhrundi gram panchayat in Thuamula-Rampur block of Kalahandi district is the home to 50 Adivasi–Kondha families. Most of them are farm labourers, who eke out their living through agriculture activities and depend on forest resources. All of them were landless. After a long fight at least 20 of them have got land under Forest Rights Act (FRA).
Yet the villagers who have got Pattas under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which is being implemented in the State since January 2008, have no knowledge on what to do with the Pattas. Neither have they got the possession of the land nor the right over the resources.
One- thirds of States’ population depends on Minor Forest Produces (MFP) which provides food security to the forest dwellers for four to six months in a year and also accounts for 20 to 50 per cent of their annual income. 29,302 out of 46,989 villages in the State have forest as land use. The State has 1,779,953 hectares (31 per cent) of forest area with a forest dependent population of 15,934,768.
The BJD Government in Odisha has contradicted its own policy direction. On the one hand, the Chief Secretary has issued a circular directing all RDCs and District Collectors to ensure 100 per cent coverage of FRA beneficiaries under different Government schemes and on the other, the Forest Department (FD) has gone ahead with Participatory Forest Management Resolution 2011, which has alleged been contravening the very tenets of the FRA.
In a recent circular issued on August 16 last, the Chief Secretary Bijaya Kumar Patnaik said, “Special plans should be drawn to cover 100 per cent beneficiaries in convergence with different Government schemes like IAY, Mo Kudia, Mo Pokhari, Land Development under MGNREGS, National Horticulture Mission and National Bamboo Mission.”
Besides, he also has asked for plantation and bore well programme to be preferably implemented in compact patches by clustering a number of beneficiaries, including some beneficiaries, who may not be individual title holders under FRA, but whose land is adjacent. Special steps should be taken to cover all the Primitive Tribal Group (PTG) beneficiaries under land development programme, he said.
According to the Government report, till date 2, 79,901 of individual beneficiaries have been distributed with individual titles in recognition with of their rights under the Act. Out of them, 58,724 right holders have been covered under various Government schemes. Except Kandhamal and Gajapati, where pro-active initiatives have been taken, the performance of the other districts is not encouraging. In the last review meeting, which was held on July 22, the Chief Minister desired that expeditious steps should be taken for covering FRA beneficiaries under a large number Government schemes.
“By settling individual claims if the Government thinks it has done its duty, people are bound to suffer,” said Manoh Chauhan of Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD). Chauhan further alleged, “Where as Government’s SC &ST Welfare Department is claimed to be better placed in FRA implementation, the Forest and Environment Department has violated FRA through an attempt to dilute the community rights over Community Forest Resources (CFR) recognised under Forest Right Act”. Odisha has 61,018 square km of forest area, which is 39.18 per cent of the geographical area. The existing forest cover of 31.07 per cent of its geographical area plays a very significant role in the socio- economic and cultural life of the people. However, over the past few decades, the forests are under heavy biotic pressure. The rich bio-diversity of the State is at the risk. Man-animal conflict is on the rise. Hence, preservation and development of the rich sylvan heritage is the priority.
In this background, the State Forest and Environment Department has adopted a resolution called ‘Participatory Forest Management Resolution vides no 17/2011’ which has been the bone of contention between the Government and the civil society activists.
The resolution has been a long-drawn strategy to vest forest management with communities which has gone with significant changes and amendments starting from Orissa Village Forest Rules 1985 to National Forest Policy 1988.
Odisha had adopted Forest Management Resolutions in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996 and 2008. The resolutions clarify that participatory forest management is an evolving concept encompassing ecological, socio-cultural and economic dimensions. People have played an important role in protection and regeneration of forests all over the State. Villagers have either formed Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSSs) or Community Forest Management Groups.
It has been observed in both the cases that monitoring and enforcement by community based institutions can potentially halt deforestation and improve the health of the forests. It is desirable that association of people, whether formed under Government resolutions or by people’s own initiative, with the forest conservation as the principal objective, is allowed to function smoothly. With the changed scenario of forest management, increasing awareness among people and experiences gained from past management practices, it is now felt necessary that the resolution on Joint Forest Management (JFM) 2008 is revised.
The forests of the State to be covered under the resolution 2011 shall be grouped into two categories such as (a)Reserved Forests, Protected Forests, Village Forests, Revenue Forests (b) Protected Area (National Park and Sanctuaries) excluding Core Area and the Mangrove Wetland. The committee constituted for the first category will be known as Van Surakshya O Parichalan Samiti (VSPS), while the committee constituted for the second category will known as Eco-Development Committee (EDC). Challenging the legality of the proposed participatory forest management resolution, the civil society campaign has urged the Government of Odisha to withdraw it and has alerted the Forest Department to take it into the court if it continues violating FRA. The FRA not only recognises individual forest rights to the tribals and forest dwellers, it also recognises community rights over Community Forest Resources at the same time. FRA has empowered the local community people for the first time after Independence to protect, regenerate and manage the forest by forming “Forest Protection and Management Committee”.
When the Gram Sabha or the villagers are authorized to determine their CFR boundary/area and plan for the protection and management of their CFR, the proposed participatory forest management (PFM) by the Forest Department wants to highjack these statutory forest rights they are entitled under FRA by bringing all the community forest rights within the exiting framework of the JFM.
The State Government is claiming to be No.1 in the nation in recognizing individual forest rights but the recognition of community forest right is lagging behind due to the non-cooperation the Forest Department. The department has been trying to restrict the recognition of community forest rights, the claims in reserved forest areas and wildlife sanctuaries. Besides, it is still having control over important MFP like Kendu Leaf (KL) and bamboo, while the communities have been given ownership right over them by the FRA.
With 7, 688 groups out of 12, 000 forests fringe villages protecting forests as Common Conservation Groups and a total of 11, 6563 claims have been rejected (53 per cent of claims rejected at Gram Sabha, 46 per cent at SDLC level), it gives rise to skepticism how the New Participatory Forest Management Resolution 2011 will be applied in letter and spirit?
The writer is a senior freelance journalist
Amajhola is a small and a sleepy village situated in the foothills of Karlapat Sanctuary. The picturesque hilly tracks on the banks of river Nagabali are known for dense forests and thickly populated tribal hamlets.
The village under Nakhrundi gram panchayat in Thuamula-Rampur block of Kalahandi district is the home to 50 Adivasi–Kondha families. Most of them are farm labourers, who eke out their living through agriculture activities and depend on forest resources. All of them were landless. After a long fight at least 20 of them have got land under Forest Rights Act (FRA).
Yet the villagers who have got Pattas under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which is being implemented in the State since January 2008, have no knowledge on what to do with the Pattas. Neither have they got the possession of the land nor the right over the resources.
One- thirds of States’ population depends on Minor Forest Produces (MFP) which provides food security to the forest dwellers for four to six months in a year and also accounts for 20 to 50 per cent of their annual income. 29,302 out of 46,989 villages in the State have forest as land use. The State has 1,779,953 hectares (31 per cent) of forest area with a forest dependent population of 15,934,768.
The BJD Government in Odisha has contradicted its own policy direction. On the one hand, the Chief Secretary has issued a circular directing all RDCs and District Collectors to ensure 100 per cent coverage of FRA beneficiaries under different Government schemes and on the other, the Forest Department (FD) has gone ahead with Participatory Forest Management Resolution 2011, which has alleged been contravening the very tenets of the FRA.
In a recent circular issued on August 16 last, the Chief Secretary Bijaya Kumar Patnaik said, “Special plans should be drawn to cover 100 per cent beneficiaries in convergence with different Government schemes like IAY, Mo Kudia, Mo Pokhari, Land Development under MGNREGS, National Horticulture Mission and National Bamboo Mission.”
Besides, he also has asked for plantation and bore well programme to be preferably implemented in compact patches by clustering a number of beneficiaries, including some beneficiaries, who may not be individual title holders under FRA, but whose land is adjacent. Special steps should be taken to cover all the Primitive Tribal Group (PTG) beneficiaries under land development programme, he said.
According to the Government report, till date 2, 79,901 of individual beneficiaries have been distributed with individual titles in recognition with of their rights under the Act. Out of them, 58,724 right holders have been covered under various Government schemes. Except Kandhamal and Gajapati, where pro-active initiatives have been taken, the performance of the other districts is not encouraging. In the last review meeting, which was held on July 22, the Chief Minister desired that expeditious steps should be taken for covering FRA beneficiaries under a large number Government schemes.
“By settling individual claims if the Government thinks it has done its duty, people are bound to suffer,” said Manoh Chauhan of Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD). Chauhan further alleged, “Where as Government’s SC &ST Welfare Department is claimed to be better placed in FRA implementation, the Forest and Environment Department has violated FRA through an attempt to dilute the community rights over Community Forest Resources (CFR) recognised under Forest Right Act”. Odisha has 61,018 square km of forest area, which is 39.18 per cent of the geographical area. The existing forest cover of 31.07 per cent of its geographical area plays a very significant role in the socio- economic and cultural life of the people. However, over the past few decades, the forests are under heavy biotic pressure. The rich bio-diversity of the State is at the risk. Man-animal conflict is on the rise. Hence, preservation and development of the rich sylvan heritage is the priority.
In this background, the State Forest and Environment Department has adopted a resolution called ‘Participatory Forest Management Resolution vides no 17/2011’ which has been the bone of contention between the Government and the civil society activists.
The resolution has been a long-drawn strategy to vest forest management with communities which has gone with significant changes and amendments starting from Orissa Village Forest Rules 1985 to National Forest Policy 1988.
Odisha had adopted Forest Management Resolutions in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996 and 2008. The resolutions clarify that participatory forest management is an evolving concept encompassing ecological, socio-cultural and economic dimensions. People have played an important role in protection and regeneration of forests all over the State. Villagers have either formed Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSSs) or Community Forest Management Groups.
It has been observed in both the cases that monitoring and enforcement by community based institutions can potentially halt deforestation and improve the health of the forests. It is desirable that association of people, whether formed under Government resolutions or by people’s own initiative, with the forest conservation as the principal objective, is allowed to function smoothly. With the changed scenario of forest management, increasing awareness among people and experiences gained from past management practices, it is now felt necessary that the resolution on Joint Forest Management (JFM) 2008 is revised.
The forests of the State to be covered under the resolution 2011 shall be grouped into two categories such as (a)Reserved Forests, Protected Forests, Village Forests, Revenue Forests (b) Protected Area (National Park and Sanctuaries) excluding Core Area and the Mangrove Wetland. The committee constituted for the first category will be known as Van Surakshya O Parichalan Samiti (VSPS), while the committee constituted for the second category will known as Eco-Development Committee (EDC). Challenging the legality of the proposed participatory forest management resolution, the civil society campaign has urged the Government of Odisha to withdraw it and has alerted the Forest Department to take it into the court if it continues violating FRA. The FRA not only recognises individual forest rights to the tribals and forest dwellers, it also recognises community rights over Community Forest Resources at the same time. FRA has empowered the local community people for the first time after Independence to protect, regenerate and manage the forest by forming “Forest Protection and Management Committee”.
When the Gram Sabha or the villagers are authorized to determine their CFR boundary/area and plan for the protection and management of their CFR, the proposed participatory forest management (PFM) by the Forest Department wants to highjack these statutory forest rights they are entitled under FRA by bringing all the community forest rights within the exiting framework of the JFM.
The State Government is claiming to be No.1 in the nation in recognizing individual forest rights but the recognition of community forest right is lagging behind due to the non-cooperation the Forest Department. The department has been trying to restrict the recognition of community forest rights, the claims in reserved forest areas and wildlife sanctuaries. Besides, it is still having control over important MFP like Kendu Leaf (KL) and bamboo, while the communities have been given ownership right over them by the FRA.
With 7, 688 groups out of 12, 000 forests fringe villages protecting forests as Common Conservation Groups and a total of 11, 6563 claims have been rejected (53 per cent of claims rejected at Gram Sabha, 46 per cent at SDLC level), it gives rise to skepticism how the New Participatory Forest Management Resolution 2011 will be applied in letter and spirit?
The writer is a senior freelance journalist
PUBLISHED ON 30 AUGUST 2011
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