The Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD) which played a vital role in enactment of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 on Friday urged all major opposition political parties to halt passing of the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Bill-2016 in the Rajya Sabha.
The CSD alleged that the CAMPA Bill in its present form violates the letter and spirit of the FRA, 2006 which was enacted to redress all injustice done to the triabls and forest dwellers.
It not only recognizes individual and community rights over forest and forest land but also authorizes the local community
(Gram Sabha) to take final decision on all activities to be done within their Community Forest Resource (CFR) area.
“The most critical problem with the bill as it stands is that it effectively allows the forest bureaucracy at the State and national level to decide how to use the vast monies that accumulated in the CAMPA fund.
It does not respect the Gram Sabha as the authority recognized under the FRA,” said a member of the CSD.