The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, aimed at giving ownership rights over forest land to traditional forest dwellers, had faced strong resistance from various quarters.
RlEK chairperson Avdhash Kaushal alleged that a few ex-maharajas and hunters had formed a tiger lobby and tried to influence Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to stop this Bill.
The forest department, together with the timber mafia, too had been blocking it, since it would severely erode their dominance over forest products. By seeing forest dwellers as encroachers on land they have been occupying for years, the State has been denying their right to a livelihood for decades.
By carefully going through the data available on statement of claims and distribution of title deeds under this Act, it shows that up to May 31, 2013, Andhra Pradesh received 3,30,479 individual and community claims and it distributed 1,67,797 deeds, Chhattisgarh received 4,92,068 individual and community claims and it distributed 2,15,443 claims, Gujarat received 1,91,592 individual and community claims and it gave deeds to 42,752, Jharkhand got 42,003 such claims and it gave 15,296 claims, Madhya Pradesh received 4,80,500 claims and it gave 1,75,293 claims, Maharashtra received 3,45,975 claims and it settled 1,03,225 cases.
In a state like Uttarakhand that boasts of 65% forest cover the data is abysmal, out of the measly 182 claims none was settled and the process is continuing.
It shows the clear lack of interest and apathy of the political leadership and the ineffective functioning of the forest bureaucracy in the state of Uttarakhand. The sad part is that the committees, formed at the block, district and state levels to clear the claims, are not at all aware of the task they are given. Chapter 1 section 2(d) of this Act clearly speaks about the forest land for which rights are recognized for tribal and forest dwellers included unclassified forests, un-demarcated forests, existing or deemed forests, protected forests, reserved, sanctuaries and national parks.
Kaushal further said that the state government should come forward and rectify this situation otherwise RlEK will approach the court.