No Government has authority to call Gram Sabha; it is only to assist Gram Sabha called by the villagers for settling claims,” said lok Shakti Abhiyan (lSA) president Prafulla Samantara at a Press meet here on Monday.
Samantara said the State Government has misled the people about Gram Sabha in Niyamgiri Hills after the Supreme Court’s judgement. Under Section-6 of the Forest Rights Act 2006, Gram Sabha should be the authority to initiate the process of determining the nature and extend of individual or community forest rights or both and that may be given to the forest dwelling scheduled tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (TFD) within the local limits of the jurisdiction which was mentioned in Para 51 of the apex court’s judgment.
Therefore, the Government has no right to choose specific villages for Gram Sabha, said Samantara, adding, “It is left to villagers of every village to call Gram Sabha. So, the notifications by the Rayagada and Kalahandi district Collectors are invalid.”
He urged the Government to withdraw the notifications and inform the villagers to have their Gram Sabhas with individual community and religious right claims. “If the Government defies, we will urge the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to assist Gram Sabha,” he said.