While the State Government boasts of saying Odihsa has become number one State in distributing forest land to tribals and other traditional forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, discrepancies and irregularities allegedly witnessed in Rayagada district are very worrisome.
According to allegations, tribals of Rayagada district, who had been given forest land under the Act years ago, are now toiling to assert their rights over the allotted land. The Forest Department is not allowing them to take possession of the land and instead planting trees on them.
Recently, hundreds of tribals of Kumbhikota and Nakiti gram panchayats under Rayagada block submitted a memorandum to the district Collector in this regard. They mentioned that though they had received the RORs six years back, the Forest Department is forcibly planting forest species on the same allotted land.
“Six years back, we received much less land than claimed in spite of FRC’s recommendation. However, we were happy that the State has recognised our rights over forests. We started developing the land with our own resource over a period of time. Now, officials of the Forest Department are forcibly planting saplings without our consent. We are afraid that they may falsely implicate us with forest cases when we question their coercive act,” said Rama Chandra Mandangi, a tribal leader of the area. RTI Activist Rabindra Patakhandala said though tribals have developed the land by cutting bush and contour, forest officials might show the work done by them and thereby make a false bill. If this process continues, it will lead to food insecurity in those villages and even create law and order situation in the area.” Responding to demands of the villagers, Rayagada Sub-Collector and SDlC Chairman Muralidhar Swain said he would look into complaints of the tribals and take corrective measures.