Regression of entitlement rights over community forest: Govt evicting tribals of developed structures on forest land allotted to them under FRA
Rayagada (Badal Tah): By dint of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, shortly known as Forest Rights Act(FRA), Government allotted tribals of Sargiguda village in Padmapur a patch of forest land. The tribal villagers developed the land by building a place of worship adhering to their religion and tradition. They created a forest by planting over 3000 saplings on the said land with help of forest deptt & had been maintaining it for years. They developed a goshala to take care of stray bovine population & prevent trafficking & slaughter of cows and had been using the dung, left out straw and feed as bio-fertilliser for the trees planted in the plot. A rest shed has been constructed for elderly people, passersby and commuters and religious devoutees congregating during local festivals. Villagers have dug a tube well and are supplying water to the villagers, devotees and passers-by and watering the trees. They have put a barbed wire fence to protect the environment. With the grant of the Special Development Council(SDC), a yagna shala is being built and Hindu tribal culture is being followed.
Recently the district administration has given notices to demolish all the structures built over the community forest land & snatch the natural entitlement rights from the tribal villagers. Bulldozers will run over this place, which has been witnessing great community efforts to establish Hindu religion and tribal culture. During 2014, the then District Collector, Divisional Forest Officer and District Welfare Officer, jointly signed a communal forest land title deed under FRC No. 44/2014 in Sargiguda village, Jatili panchayat, Padmapur block, Rayagada district. This land is located in Sargiguda Mouja, Khata no. 39, Plot No. 181, Patra forest type. 7.90 acres of land has been developed with the help of the local residents.
Administration issued encroachment notices in the name of one Chandramohan Dora through the local Tehsildar, Padmapur stating that he has encroached on the said community forest land and has ordered to demolish the said development works. The revenue & forest officials jointly verified the said land in our presence and declared the forest as ours in our village. Till now, that land is in our complete possession. Since Dora has a farm land adjacent to the said forest land, the Tehsildar has given him the impugned notice, said the villagers.
When asked, the Tehsildar could not mention the exact reasons to evict the tribals from the land they have given to the villagers. “The order is illegal and the developmental work done on the land given to us for traditional, cultural and religious reasons should not be destroyed. The land and development over it is attached to our emotion and spiritual fervor. The administration should rethink and discuss with us and immediately cancel the decision for land acquisition. The vindictive action of district administration must stop or else we will be compelled to leave our village and go outside the state in seach of work.”, said Dasharthi Shabar, President of Village Forest Committee and other villagers namely Mallikeshar Sabar, Ratnakar Sabar and Mironoz Sabar. They have filed written complaints with notarized court affidavits before SP, DFO at Rayagada, Sub-Collector of Gunupur & Tribal Minister Sri Nityananda Gond. Local denizens have expressed their concern over the whole episode and waited to see whether the administration will empathise with the grievance of the tribals or become steadfast.
