As many as 45 farmers from Tonkapal development block of Bastar district, in a written complaint to the Collector, urged him to safeguard their rights under the Forest Rights Act. According to the complaint, outsiders have encroached the land allotted to the farmers under the Forest Rights Act and were running crusher plants on it illegally.
The villagers said that some industrialists and influential persons came to Chhote lakma village in Tonkapal development block and installed crusher plants on their land. The land has been allotted to the forest dwellers, purely on the basis of merit and provision made in the Constitution under article five, for schedule tribes and schedule casts, to safeguard their interest as natural habitats of the forest.
The villagers alleged that the encroachers were involved in illegal excavation of miner minerals from the land. Ten families had been given Pattas under the Forest Rights Act and 35 other families have been recommended by the forest department to the state government for the issuance of Patta, since they are living and are fully dependent upon the forest for their livelihood. The forest dwellers have made a complaint with the forest department also.
On the issue, Bastar collector Albangan P said that making encroachments on the land in deep forest is not fair and excavating minerals from it is a serious offence. He has ordered a detailed inquiry into the matter and if anybody found guilty, strict action would be taken against them, the collector said.