The tribals and forest dwellers of Balangir district are dissolving their Van Surakshya Samitis (VSSs) formed by the Forest Department using FRA.
The tribals and forest dependent community has been mobilised to dissolve the VSS using Section 6 of FRA, 2006. Already, four villages such as Gulmi, Satbohani, Gudguda and Siajhundangi in Titilagarh block of Bolangir districts have organised special Gram Sabha using Section 6 of FRA and dissolved their VSSs. All these villages not only have dissolved their VSS but also have formed Forest Protection and Management Committees (FPMC).
On July 30, 2006, it was the turn of the Sialjhundangi Gram Sabha which dissolved its VSS/JFMC. Siajhuandagi is a small village having 141 households including 35 SCs and 282 STs and rest OBCs (Gauda).
As per the Record of Rights (RoR), there are in total 123.17 acres of community land (recorded as Government land) including 2.45 acres of forest land in the revenue village.
Sialjhundagi also sent its Gram Sabha resolution to the concerned district and State level authorities such as the Chief Secretary, Secretaries, SC &ST Welfare Department and Forest and Environment, Chairman, FRA District level Committee (DlC), FRA Sub-Divisional level Committee (SDlC), Bolangir DFO and Forest Ranger, Titilagarh etc.
In the Gram Sabha meeting they condemned the Forest Department for its illegal attempt to reform VSS in the village to carry out Ama Jungle Yojana.