The Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), Odisha has blamed the Nabarangpur Forest Division for the killing of two persons in a group clash at Baunsabeda village under Umarkot block in Nabarangpur district on July 16 night over the issue of farming on forestland.
CSD alleged that the Nabarangpur Forest Division through its Vana Sarakhayna Sammtitee (VSS), which has lost its legality after the Forest Rights Act, 2006, has turned the villages into conflict zones. Many conflicts have been arising between the VSS members and Forest Rights Committee (FRC) members in the past.
Pointing involvement of forest officials through the VSS in the incident, the CSD questioned, “Who instigated the villagers to do plantation over the occupied land of the deceased Balram Das that he used to cultivate for years togetherIJ Who supplied the sapling for plantationIJ And, what is the status of FRA implementation in the villageIJ”
It further alleged that loosing legal rights over forest after enactment of the FRA, 2006, the forest officials are trying hard to regain control over forest and creating conflicts within the community through the VSS. The conflicts have led massive illegal tree felling by forest mafias hand in gloves with the local forest Department people.
“Many a times we have visited the conflict areas and appraised the district administration, but the district administration failed to resolve them”, said a member of the CSD.
The body demanded a special investigation of into the direct and indirect involvement of forest officials in the plantation at the village, recognition of the Forest Rights (both IFR and CFR) in the village and in the district in true spirit and dissolution of the VSS in all villages of the district.