Forest rights being granted in Melghat core under pressure
Satpuda Foundation
Forest rights being granted in Melghat core under pressure
Vijay Pinjarkar| Sep 1, 2016, 04.36 AM IST
Nagpur: At a time when crores of rupees
are being spent to create inviolate spaces for tigers by relocating villages
inside Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati, the district administration
is doing something exactly the opposite-- distributing land under Forest Rights
Act in the core area of tiger reserve.
It is indeed shocking that district collector is
granting claims in the heart of tiger reserve that has spent over Rs200 crore
to relocate nine villages in the last four years. Since 2003, 14 villages have
been relocated from MTR and 19 more remaining. There are 35-40 tigers in 2,000
sqkm Melghat.
"The villages are being relocated to create
inviolate spaces for tigers, but in contrast, administration has granted
individual rights on 93.295 hectares tiger bearing land in three ranges under
Gugamal wildlife division," highly placed sources told TOI. Of these,
52.298 hectares is in Harisal range, 34.402 hectares in Chaurakund and 5.595
hectares in Jarida. The five claims from Rora and 19 claims from Malur in
Gugamal come under critical tiger habitat (CTH). These claims have been granted
by district level committee.
Top sources said an IAS officer in state
Governor's office is mounting pressure on collectors to grant pattas inside
core area of tiger reserve while National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
has already made it clear no rights could be granted in tiger reserve as they are
finally notified after rights have been already settled.
They said cases that were rejected earlier were
also being cleared under pressure. This is despite the fact that on November 9,
2015, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at a seminar on 'Conservation of forests
and rural livelihood security' at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) at Uttan
(Thane), ordered action against encroachers underFRA and scrap invalid claims.
CM has made it clear no traditional rights on
forest land under FRA would be entertained after the cut-off date of December
13, 2005. In Melghat, there have been many encroachments and forest officials
removing these encroachments are being targeted by local MLAs.
Amravati district collector Kiran Gitte told TOI,
"I will verify the claims. If rights have been granted in core area we
will review them."
TOI is in possession of a letter issued by Melghat
MLA Prabudas Bhilavekar on June 29, 2016, asking forest officials not to remove
encroachments on forest land without consulting him. Though this letter
explains select cases of Mangia villagers, the letter has been sent to all
officials working in Melghat. TOI had earlier exposed how forest officials were
being attacked by villagers as they have local political backing to grab forest
land under FRA.
Anticipating tribals will get rights on forest land, many tribals and non-tribals have encroached upon hundreds of acres of forest in the state. Yet, no action has been taken against them by officials.
HOW FRA WORKS
* Eligibility criteria: Eligibility for rights under FRA is confined to those
who are Scheduled Tribes/forest dwellers of that area and have been residing in
the forest for 75 years
* Process: Section 6(1) of the Act provides that the gram sabha, or village
assembly, will initially pass a resolution recommending cases as per Dec 13,
2005, cut-off date
* Wildlife conservation: Section 4(2) of the Act lays out a procedure by which
people can be resettled from areas if found necessary for wildlife conservation
Former Member, Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife,
Member, Maharashtra state Board for Wildlife,
Member, Maharashtra state Bio-diversity Board.
Administrative office:201,Plot 17,”Sapphire”Apptt, 201,Puranik Layout,
Bharat Nagar, Amravati Road, Nagpur. Tel.: 0712-2040288 (Tele-Fax)