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Thursday, Dec 25, 2008
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Experts warning against new Forest Rights Act

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Experts attending a workshop on the newly enacted Forest Rights Act here have warned the policy planners against the possible damage to environment due to expansion of human habitations into “degraded and ecologically fragile areas” and felt that the new law would cater more to redistribution of forest lands rather than recognising the existing livelihoods.

The workshop was organised jointly by the Seva Mandir, Udaipur, and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Jaipur, to analyse the progress made in the implementation of the Act in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

The participants in the workshop also shared their experiences about capacity building under institutional schemes stipulated in the Act. The mandate of the Act is to delegate the responsibility of protection and conservation of forests and settlement of disputes to the Gram Sabhas and local communities.

Additional Chief Conservator of Forests H.M. Shia said the new statute should not be converted into an apparatus for land distribution. While the Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Governments have taken proactive steps to settle disputed claims on forest lands, the process is yet to start in Karnataka.

The status paper on Andhra Pradesh highlighted the discrepancies in the surveys and settlements during the Nizam’s rule and the action launched to set them right under the present dispensation.

While the status paper on Madhya Pradesh threw light on the use of information technology aids to improve upon the issues raised by tribals with regard to land occupancy, the status paper on Karnataka underscored the State Government’s “go slow approach” with only two Forest Rights Committees having been formed so far.

Some of the speakers pointed out that there were certain “inherent discrepancies” in the Act.

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