Union minister for environment & forests Jayanthi Natarajan has assured minister for tribal rights and panchayati raj K.C. Deo that tribals will not be evicted from forest land Mr Deo had conveyed to Ms Natarajan that the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 needed streamlining.
“On what basis can a decision be taken on how to compensate a tribal without his rights being settled first,” he is reported to have pointed out to the environment minister who agreed with his submission.
The statutory Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has agreed that it will not give the green nod to divert forest land for projects till such time as the affected gram sabhas do not clear the proposal.
The MoEF had passed this order in 2009 in order to align all forest clearances with the FRA. It disallowed lands from being diverted for other purposes till the rights of tribals have been finally settled.
The 2009 circular specifically stipulated that the required FAC and ministry officials ensure the consent of gram sabhas in forest dwelling areas. But this was not being adhered to and the bureaucracy was putting pressure on the ministry to withdraw this order.
Following the meeting between Ms Natarajan and Mr Deo, the environment minister put her foot down and stated that the ministry would not entertain any project unless the states provided all documentary evidence that rights under FRA had not been compromised.
Mr Deo said, “The forest department had a vested interest in getting the FRA diluted because they believe the forests belong to them.” The process of regularising tribal rights has not been an easy process. “More applications for land pattas have been rejected than regularised so far,” said Mr Deo though when asked to provide break up he said between 14-15 lakh have been regularised and an equal number have been rejected.