Latest news with #ForestRightsActof2006
Time of India
07-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Ajjoor villagers seek Nilgiris collector's intervention to stop forest dept's move to evict them
At least 100 members, including women, of the village gathered in front of the Nilgiris collectorate on Monday to hand over the petition to the collector. Udhagamandalam: Residents of Ajjoor village in Ooty taluk have sought the intervention the Nilgiris collector to stop an eviction exercise initiated by the forest department. In their petition to collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, the villagers have stated that the Badaga village was established 300 years ago, and currently, at least 300 agrarian families reside there. At least 100 members, including women, of the village gathered in front of the Nilgiris collectorate on Monday to hand over the petition to the collector. 'Recently, we have been asked to vacate the land under old survey numbers 596/1 and 596/2, citing various forest acts. We have lived in the village and cultivated the land associated with these survey numbers for the past more than 300 years,' the petition stated. 'This action poses a threat to our age-old cultural heritage and our livelihood. We hold all the proper receipts for tax payments on these properties.' R Balakrishnan, president of the Ajjoor Village Welfare Association, said, 'Our request is for the issuance of pattas to the villagers for the land they have occupied for centuries, as per the Forest Rights Act of 2006.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo In 1980, over 300 acres of land in Ajjoor village were designated as a reserve forest area. A proposal under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act of 1882 was submitted by the forest department to the district administration. After a thorough review by the settlement officer, 298.20 acres were officially notified as forest land under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act in GO no. 279 dated March 7, 1980, leaving around 12 acres for public use by the villagers. In 2017, the Madras high court dismissed writ petition no. 31256, which was filed in 2005 by the villagers who were classified as encroachers. The court instructed the forest department to proceed with eviction proceedings following the law. Appeals from the villagers in 1996 and again in 2005 were rejected by the Madras high court, which emphasized the importance of maintaining the ecological balance of the Nilgiris. District forest officer S Gowtham told TOI, 'We must follow the procedure for rights if they provide evidence of possessing the said land for more than 300 years.'
India Gazette
09-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Himachal: CM awards land ownership certificates to 25 Kalpa block residents of Kinnaur district
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 9 (ANI): In a significant step towards recognising and formalising land rights for local communities, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has presented 25 beneficiaries from the Kalpa block in Kinnaur district with land ownership certificates in accordance with the Forest Rights Act of 2006. These certificates had been pending for several years. According to a release, the Chief Minister said that land leases have already been allotted to 460 individuals across the state under the Forest Rights Act. Addressing a gathering at Kalpa, he stated that, for the first time in 75 years, Shipki-la was being opened to tourists who can now visit Shipki-la simply by carrying an AADHAR card and token. It will boost the local economy and promote tourism in border areas, thus creating employment opportunities for the youth. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth Rs 48 crore in the Kinnaur Assembly Constituency. The foundation stone of the auditorium at DIET at Reckong-Peo is to cost rupees eight crore, Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex at Kalpa is to cost Rs 29.88 crore, and the inauguration of the youth hostel at Kalpa, constructed for Rs 10.60 crore, as per the release. Criticising the previous government, he alleged that public funds were misused, which should have instead been spent on the welfare of the farmers, horticulturists, and the last man in the row. He added that large plots of land were handed over to big industrialists at throwaway prices, and huge subsidies were given for electricity. The Una Bulk Drug Park project, for which Rs 50 crore was allocated by the Centre, was returned, as the state government will now take up its work on its own to safeguard state interests, he stated. He claimed that the BJP government received liberal grants of about Rs68,000 crore from the Centre in the form of GST compensation and revenue deficit grants, but 'instead of repaying the debts and clearing the liabilities, it utilised the funds on freebies.' Additionally, about Rs 9,000 crore under the NPS had yet to be released. However, the Congress government has saved Rs 3000 crore by plugging corruption loopholes, the CM said. He said that despite losses worth Rs 10,000 crore due to natural disasters, the Centre has not provided any financial aid. Still, the state government released a special relief package of Rs. 4,500 crore from its resources to assist those affected. The Chief Minister emphasised that his government will make Himachal Pradesh self-reliant by 2027. He also addressed the Vimal Negi case, accusing the opposition of playing politics over it. He assured that the government would stand with the family of Vimal Negi and that the guilty would be brought to justice. Vimal Negi, an engineer with the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), went missing on March 10, and his body was recovered from Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur on March 18. He had joined the corporation on June 15, 2024 and was reportedly under stress. The CM announced that under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi, women across all blocks of Kinnaur district will be given the benefit in a phased manner. The Chief Minister stated that the government plans to create 25,000 jobs in this financial year and has committed to creating five lakh employment opportunities over five years. Under the Mukhya Mantri Sukh Aashray Yojana, orphaned children have been given the status 'Children of the State', and the government is covering their education expenses. Similarly, the state bears the education expenses of widowed children under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana. He announced a new scheme to ensure medical check-ups for seniors above 70 at their doorstep. Additionally, Rs 100 crore is spent to provide modern medical equipment in government medical colleges. The Chief Minister also announced the opening of CBSE-affiliated schools in four blocks of Kinnaur. Further announcements included Rs 10 crore for the sports complex, Rs 10 crore for an indoor stadium, and plans to develop four schools as day-boarding institutions. Revenue, Horticulture and Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for launching several developmental works in the Kinnaur constituency. He said the state's overall development was progressing under the Chief Minister's leadership. The Chief Minister announced Rs 10,000 for the local women's team to promote sports among youth and encourage them to avoid substance abuse. The Chief Minister also visited the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), where he gave Rs 100,000 to five women's groups to assist them in purchasing essentials. He also released the annual magazine 'Narkasang', brought out by the DIET. (ANI)
