Injustice in Forest Act implementation: Adivasi Mahasabha

Ahmedabad, Nov 3: The Adivasi Mahasabha, an umbrella organisation of local organisations and NGOs, today alleged that the rights of tribals on the forest land and resources were being denied in a calculated manner in Gujarat negating the spirit of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Alleging tremendous amount of corruption in the implementation of FRA, the Mahasabha said the forest dwellers continue to suffer injustice much more than earlier due to misuse of power by Forest officials.

The Subdivisional level committees (SDLC) and Divisional Level Committees formed under the FRA have overstepped their limits in considering the recommendations of the Forest Rights Committees as the procedure was being scuttled with the collusion of Forest department, Gujarat Adivasi Sabha leaders told a news conference in Vadodara.

''Going against the Act, the SDLCs are rejecting the claim forms in big numbers and based on the unproved opinion of the Forest Department,'' Mahasabha spokesman Rohit Prajapati said.

''Many bureaucrats seem to behave as if the tribals are to be treated shabbily and their rights are of no consequences'', he said.

The Mahasabha demanded that the Act, enacted by the Parliament to remove the historical injustice done to the Adivasis, should be implemented in a transparent and just manner and according to its spirit.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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