Taking cognisance of petitions and complaints from 52 villages on non-recognition of forest rights and makes an attempt at forceful eviction in and round Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has directed the Madhya Pradesh authorities to look at the matter and resolve it in session with state forest departments and anxious district collectors.
The Centre wrote to the Madhya Pradesh tribal welfare division on December 23 after receiving representations from 52 gram sabhas from Damoh, Narsinghpur and Sagar districts. Within the representations, it has been alleged that after Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve was notified in September 2023, forest rights claims had been denied and villagers had been pushed to relocate exterior the reserve forcefully, in violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, and Wildlife Safety Act (WLPA), 2006.
Additional, villagers have been restricted from accessing forest sources, forest produce and farms, it has been alleged. “It might be famous that alienation of the communities from exercising their rights as stipulated underneath FRA, 2006, is a violation of the Act. Subsequently, as state governments are FRA implementing authority, it’s suggested that issues could also be examined and resolved in session with state forest departments, the involved district collectors and DFOs,” the MoTA said in its letter to the MP authorities.
Unfold over 2,339 sq km, Rani Durgavati is MP’s latest tiger reserve. It was created by including the areas of Rani Durgavati and Nauradehi wildlife sanctuaries. In reality, it was shaped to compensate for 100 sq km of prime forest that can get submerged within the Panna tiger reserve because of the Ken Betwa River linking venture.
The letter was additionally marked to the Nationwide Fee for Scheduled Tribes division of the MoTA and Damoh, Sagar and Narsinghpur district collectors for needed motion. Additional, it was additionally marked to the Nationwide Tiger Conservation Authority for motion and for issuing acceptable instructions to wildlife wardens in order to safeguard the pursuits of the communities.
The Wildlife Safety Act permits forest departments to create ‘inviolate’ areas, that are freed from human settlements, for tiger conservation. Nonetheless, such inviolate areas are to be created solely after the rights of tribal and forest-dwelling communities are recognised and settled, as per the provisions of the WLPA and FRA. After recognition of rights, villagers may be relocated and rehabilitated provided that they want to take action voluntarily, as per legislation.
“Particularly, for vital wildlife habitats, it has been laid down in FRA and likewise in WLPA that sure situations like free, prior and knowledgeable consent of the Gram Sabha and affected group’s participation in selections have to be met earlier than the state authorities can begin relocation in any forest space,” the MoTA said in its letter.
When requested concerning the allegations concerning the non-recognition of rights, Abdul Aleem Ansari, Divisional Forest Officer, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, denied them.
“We’re not evicting any household forcefully. We now have knowledgeable eligible households and villages concerning the bundle we are able to supply. There are a complete of 93 villages contained in the tiger reserve, of which 40 have been relocated since 2014, initially from the Nauradehi sanctuary space. We’re within the means of relocating eight villages, and the remainder aren’t being relocated at present as a result of we do not need the price range for them,” Ansari informed The Indian Categorical.
“The very best variety of villages are in Damoh district, adopted by Sagar and Narsinghpur,” Ansari added.
When contacted for remark, Damoh district Collector Sudhir Kumar Kochar didn’t reply to questions concerning the villagers’ allegations and as a substitute requested to talk to Ansari.
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