Congratulating the tribal community on World Tribal Day, leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh has demanded from the State government to provide the tribals with the Forest Rights Act 2006, so that they could have rights over water and jungles.
In a statement, Singh said that in 2006, the then UPA government at Centre had come out with Forest Rights Act, under which the tribals were to be given rights on 60 lakh hectare community resources.
However, since then, the State government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan has dumped it in the garbage bin, instead of providing forest rights to the tribals.
Despite knowing the fact that this Act is for welfare of tribals, the Chief Minister declined to implement it in the State, he alleged.
Similarly, Singh said that in 20013, the then UPA government had passed an Act providing transparency in the land acquisition and rehabilitation of the displaced, but this Act too is not being implemented in the State. In absence of implementation of this Act in the State, a number of musclemen and non-tribals have captured the land of tribals in different parts of the State.
Singh stated that in June, this year, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was to take out Adivasi Adhikar yatra, but to the unknown reasons, the yatra could not commence.
“If the Chief Minister in real sense interested in welfare of tribals, he should implement the Forest Rights 2006 Act in the State and give rights to the tribals on 60 lakh hectare land.”