Chhattisgarh forest department withdraws circular on CFR rights after massive tribal protests
Activists working on forest and tribal rights highlighted that a letter issued by the Chhattisgarh Forest Department on May 15 seeking to designate the department as the nodal agency for implementing the FRA—an act that is not only legally untenable but also a direct encroachment on the jurisdiction of the Tribal Development Department.
'The forest department has invoked the National Working Plan Code 2023 under the guise of 'scientific forest management' to threaten the implementation of Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights, supported by Gram Sabhas and other state institutions. This move jeopardises community control and management over nearly 20,000 sq km of forests in the state', they claimed.
The forest department affirmed that its directive was advisory in nature as the field implementation of CFR rights was becoming inconsistent due to the lack of clarity on how to develop and integrate CFR management plans with the National Working Plan Code 2023.
Spontaneous and big rallies were taken place as the collective voice across tribal regions during the last couple of days, with memorandums addressed to chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai were submitted, seeking his intervention to refrain the forest department from obstructing the rights of forest-dependent communities and instead support the remaining 8,000 forest-reliant villages in securing their rightful CFR claims.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
a day ago
- India Gazette
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, Assembly Speaker Raman Singh join 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' plantation drive
Nava Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 14 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Assembly Speaker Raman Singh on Monday took part in a tree plantation drive under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' campaign, held at the premises of the new state Legislative Assembly building in Atal Nagar-Nava Raipur. Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai extended warm greetings to the people of Chhattisgarh for the Shravan month. 'Heartfelt congratulations to everyone for the Shraavan month. May Lord Shiva's blessings continue to shower upon Chhattisgarh, and may there be prosperity in Chhattisgarh... Today, we have all come to the new Legislative Assembly premises... Everyone has planted trees here,' Deo told reporters. Reacting on the same event, Assembly Speaker Raman Singh said the plantation drive symbolized a collective commitment to environmental responsibility. Assembly speaker said to reporters, 'Today is the first Monday of Shravan month and on this auspicious occasion, the Chief Minister has expressed his wish that under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, trees should be planted in the Assembly premises in the presence of all the MLAs, all the ministers and our colleagues. Today, in the presence of everyone, a massive tree plantation campaign has taken place, and this is going to become our green campus.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, an unique initiative combining environmental responsibility with a heartfelt tribute to mothers. This campaign was inaugurated on June 5, 2024. He urged citizens across the country to participate in the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign by planting at least one tree in their mother's name. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat ranked second nationwide, with the successful plantation of 17.48 crore saplings as part of this initiative. (ANI)
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
CPI demands patta for hill farmers in Erode district
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has urged the State Government to issue pattas (land ownership rights) for poramboke lands that have been under cultivation by farmers and tribal communities in Erode district's hill areas for several decades. The demand was made during the party's North Erode District Conference held recently in Sathyamangalam, where various resolutions were passed. One key resolution highlighted that farmers and tribal residents in the hill regions of Thalavadi, Kadambur, and Bargur have been cultivating on one or two acres of government poramboke land without formal land titles. Due to the absence of pattas, these communities are ineligible for crop loans, compensation for crop loss caused by wild animals, electricity connections, and access to government welfare schemes. The resolution pointed out that despite their long-standing cultivation, the Revenue Department continues to deny pattas, citing Government Order (G.O.) No. 1168 issued in 1989. The G.O., introduced following landslides in the Nilgiris district due to heavy rain, prohibits issuing pattas in hill regions to prevent soil erosion and environmental degradation. However, CPI leaders argued that the terrain in Erode is significantly different. Unlike the Nilgiris, agriculture in Erode's hill areas is carried out on flatlands, and there have been no recorded instances of landslides or soil erosion. The party termed the application of the 1989 G.O. to Erode as unjustified and said it has led to continued deprivation of rights for hill farmers. The resolution also noted that under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, pattas are being issued to those cultivating on forest lands, making the denial of pattas for revenue poramboke lands inconsistent. Further, the resolution drew attention to the plight of homeless families in hill regions who are unable to afford land or housing. While the government provides free house site pattas in the plains, it does not extend the same benefit to hill residents due to the 1989 ban. The CPI has called on the government to exclude Erode district from the scope of the 1989 G.O., issue pattas for poramboke lands under cultivation in the district's hill areas, and provide free house site pattas to homeless residents. The party urged immediate government action to address the long-standing issues faced by hill farmers and tribal communities in the district.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Chhattisgarh assembly monsoon session begins today; congress gears up to corner BJP govt
RAIPUR: A 5-day monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly begins on Monday and is likely to be stormy as the opposition Congress has geared up to launch an onslaught on the ruling BJP government led by Vishnu Deo Sai. Around 1000 questions have been listed for the Question Hour in the upcoming session. According to official sources, the BJP government is likely to introduce some key bills besides a supplementary budget during the session. The leader of the opposition, Charandas Mahant, who chaired a meeting of his party MLAs ahead of the session at Rajiv Bhawan, conveyed that every important issue related to public interest should be raised with an aggressive stance to corner the government. The Congress legislators have been instructed to attend the monsoon session with their full preparation, supported with facts and reasoning on various key issues that are to come up for discussions in the House.
