The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Notify committee to start process of rehabilitation, Government urged

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Notify committee to start process of rehabilitation, Government urged

T.S. Ranganna

Forest Department has initiated preliminary steps, says officer

Land rights for forest dwellers certified by the committee
4,500 families waiting in Biligiri Rangana Betta

BANGALORE: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Indu B. Srivastava has requested the Government to notify a State-level committee comprising six members as required under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 to start the process of rehabilitating some forest dwellers in the State.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Srivastava, also the State Chief Wildlife Warden, however, said that the Forest Department has initiated preliminary steps for providing information to the committee, when it was constituted.

He said that the Union Government had not yet formulated rules under the new law and the States were waiting for this important stage to be completed.

The Government will consider giving land rights to such of those dwellers whose stay in the forests were certified by the State-level committee.

Rehabilitation

Of the 1,500 families living in the Nagarahole National Park, 300 have been rehabilitated under various government schemes at Veerana Hosahalli and Sollepura on the fringe areas of the park.

In Bhadra, 438 families have been rehabilitated and some more were yet to be given land rights, whereas in Bandipur, rehabilitation has been completed.

However, in Biligiri Rangana Betta, there were 4,500 families belonging to Soliga and Kadu Kuruba tribes living in 57 hamlets, waiting for land rights.

He said there were 26 critical wild life habitats in the State (six national parks and 21 sanctuaries) and some of them have to be declared as inviolate areas and managed thus because some habitats were breeding grounds for animals whereas there are places where animals wait for the prey and could not be disturbed. The State-level committee would identify such sensitive habitats.

Special committee

The State committee would include, apart from the chief wildlife warden as the chairman, one representative each from the Union Ministries of Forests and Environment and Tribal Affairs, two State-level experts in the field of wildlife, one local representative in the fields of sociology and conservation or a representative from the grama sabha concerned and one protected area manager. The committee will process the cases and ensure distribution of land rights.

Under the Act, each of the tribal families and those traditionally living in any type of forests for at least three generations (about 75 years) will get rights over four hectares or 10 acres of land. They would be given rights to protect environment and ecology in the area concerned.

Such people would not be evicted and even if evicted without receiving applications from them, they would be rehabilitated. The families could celebrate traditional rituals, except hunting and could collect minor forest produce. It is the duty of the Government to provide them with schools, health centres, water, irrigation, roads and shops.

Assistance

The land right proposals have to be discussed at the grama sabhas and the Department of Panchayat Raj in the States have been instructed to extend all assistance in implementing the Act.

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