Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the tribal brothers and sisters living in forest areas are historically backward. They have been left behind in the race for development, as well as too many legal restrictions are on them. The State Government is committed to improving the standard of living of the tribal brothers and sisters living in the forest areas and to empower them economically, socially and educationally. Chouhan was addressing a meeting on Community Forest Management at Mantralaya. Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, Principal Secretary Forest Ashok Varnwal, Principal Secretary Finance Manoj Govil and other officers were present. In the meeting, discussions were held on the formation of Community Forest Management Committee, its empowerment, the role of tribal brothers and sisters in forest management, economic empowerment from forest produce, use of knowledge and traditions of tribal community in maintaining biodiversity, legally providing firewood and wood poles of daily need to the forest dependent community, formation of Forest Management Committee and representation of Scheduled Tribes and the women in it were also discussed in the meeting. Rights of forest committees to carry out development works, implementation of micro-management plans of forest areas, participation of forest committees in the amount received from tourism in national parks and sanctuaries, recommendation of forest committees regarding conservation of endangered species.