NT NETWORK
Panaji
The state government, on Tuesday, observed lack of co-ordination between the revenue department and forest department to be the reason for the delay in the implementation of the Schedule Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which is known as the Forest Rights Act, in the state.
This was observed during the high level meeting held at the Secretariat, which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, Tribal Welfare Minister Govind Gaude, Minister for Public Works Deepak Pauskar, Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes, and Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar besides the district collectors and other concerned officials.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the Tribal Welfare Minister said that it has been observed by the government that due to the lack of co-ordination between the revenue department and forest department, the process of disposal of forest rights claims filed by the tribals and other forest dwellers is being delayed in the state.
“We have directed the officials concerned to expedite the process of disposal of the forest rights claims by keeping aside their ego issue, and ensure justice to the tribal community, which has been living on the forest lands and cultivating it for decades,” he said.
Gaude further said that “the spot verification of the lands, which are covered under the Act, is done by the authorities,” and added that except for Quepem, the spot verification of claimed forest land has been completed in other talukas in South Goa.
“By mid-November, first lot of 340 cases would be approved by the District Level Committee under the Act,” he said, adding that the government has also sought a monthly progress report on forest rights claims from the implementing
departments.
Deputy Chief Minister Kavlekar said that all the Forest Rights Committees have been given a deadline of next six months to settle all the claims under Forest Rights Act.
Kavlekar further said that 300 cases per month would be settled by the committees after following all the required procedure, and added that the district collector has been asked to monitor all the process and submit monthly report to the state government.
He conceded that while top ranking forest department officials agree to cooperate in giving the rightful claims to the tribal community, the low ranking officials create unnecessary hassles.
Sanguem MLA Gaonkar highlighted how the forest officials are raising objections to the forest rights claims at the final stage when placed for approval of the district level committee.
He also made a point that “the forest department should not forget that the tribals living in the forest areas are older than department’s existence and they should try to understand the ground reality, rather than objecting the claims filed under forest rights Act.”
It was also decided during the meeting that the group of ministers and MLAs shall meet once a month to review the progress of the disposal of forest rights
claims.
