The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Girijans to be given forest lands

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Girijans to be given forest lands

Special Correspondent

Four lakh acres eligible for regularisation, says Minister

In initial phase, title deeds to be issued for one lakh acres on August 15
December 31, 2005 fixed as cut-off date to regularise the land occupation

HYDELRABAD: All arrangements have been made to confer ownership rights of forest lands occupied and being cultivated by Girijans from August 15. To start with, title deeds will be issued for an area of one lakh acres.

December 31, 2005 has been fixed as the cut-off date to regularise the occupation. Taken up for the first time in the country, the regularisation is in line with the Scheduled Tribes & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006.

It will allow ownership of a maximum of 10 acres to an eligible family.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Thursday, Tribal Welfare Minister D. S. Redya Naik said the tribals had submitted 2.7 lakh claims covering of 8 lakh acres. Surveys had shown that over 4 lakh acres of land fulfilled the criteria laid down for regularisation.

However, title-deeds were prepared only for 1 lakh acres as surveying and mapping could be possible only for this extent for the time being.

Chief Minister Y. S . Rajasekhara Reddy would launch the programme on the Independence Day by distributing the documents to Girijans at Paderu.

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