Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar replying to a call attention notice in the Assembly on Thursday refuted the charges that the forest staff has committed excesses and misbehaved with tribals in the name of removing encroachments under Nepanagar assembly constituency.
Assembly members Rajendra Shyamlal Dadu, Devendra Verma and Kunwar Singh Tekam through call attention notice alleged that the local forest staff is doing excesses and misbehaved with the Tribals in the name of removing encroachments. The local forest staff is doing oppression with the Tribals as land pattas are not given to even those Tribals whose claim applications have been approved causing discontent among the Tribal community that could lead to serious confrontation with the forest department.
Forest Minister in his reply told the house that the action taken by the department is completely legal. The forest department has not taken any action of eviction with any of the holder of Forest Right Certificate. Hence it is not right to say that there is discontent among the tribal community and that the circumstances could lead to direct confrontation between Tribals and forest department, he added.
Assembly members Dadu, Verma and Tekam have also cited examples of vandalism and excesses by forest departments against Resla s/o Gulab and alleged that when his wife opposed the action the forest department staff skirmish with his aged mother. Similar behavior was done with Ila s/o Rajan and when his wife opposed action she was beaten up and threatened. Many similar examples were provided by the members.
Shejwar replied to all the allegations and made it clear that the allegations were not correct and that the forest staff followed all rules and regulations and behaved well under law while dealing with the Tribals.