The Hindu : National : Notify tribal Bill rules: Brinda

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Tuesday, Sep 25, 2007
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Notify tribal Bill rules: Brinda

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP and Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat on Monday demanded that the government immediately notify the rules to grant forest land rights to tribals.

Addressing a press conference here, she expressed disappointment that the tribal Bill — the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, — had not come into force because the government failed to frame and notify the rules. This was against the will of Parliament. She claimed that “some lobbies” were trying to sabotage the Bill.

She said that due to the government’s “casual approach”, tribals were being evicted from their land in various parts of the country.

She expressed surprise over the government’s inaction even after the Bill was adopted unanimously by both houses of Parliament.

Ms. Karat said that she had met Tribal Affairs Minister P.R. Kyndiah and apprised him of the issue. She pointed out that a committee for drafting the rules for legislation was formed in March this year and it submitted the draft rules in two months.

The legislation, passed in December 2006, is meant to protect the rights of tribal people to the forest land they have been living for generations and to the forest resources that have been their traditional means of livelihood.

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