The Hindu : Afforestation clause may delay land for tribals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 12, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Afforestation clause may delay land for tribals

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 11. The distribution of forest land to tribals, cleared by the Centre, is likely to be delayed on account of the stipulation that the State Government should set up a fund of around Rs. 500 crores for compensatory afforestation.

The Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, who discussed the matter with officials on Tuesday, has asked the Chief Conservator of Forests (Protection), V. S. Varghese, to go to Delhi tomorrow to seek an urgent clarification from the Centre on the stipulation.

The Centre has specified that the State Government should deposit Rs. 5 lakhs to Rs. 9 lakhs per hectare of land, depending on the quality of the land to be distributed, in a Compensatory Afforestation Management Agency as per the order of the Supreme Court issued last year. As the clearance is for 7,693.22 hectares (19,002 acres), this would come to anything between Rs. 400 crores to Rs. 600 crores. The State, which is facing financial difficulties, could hardly budget this amount.

Though the State would now be seeking relaxation of the order, it may not come by easily as the matter would have to be taken up with the Court. This would affect plans of the Government to distribute the land this year.

The Minister for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, M. A. Kuttappan, told The Hindu that there was uncertainty in the matter, as the amount would have to be deposited prior to the distribution of the land. It was unfair for the Centre to make such a stipulation as the State Government was providing the land for compensatory afforestation. It had also initiated steps for afforestation including the regeneration of about 1,000 hectares of mangroves. Private land had been taken over for the purpose.

The Supreme Court had given its order in an interlocutory petition on August 8, 2003.

While considering the State Government's request for forest clearance in May 2003, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had stipulated afforestation of around 11,000 hectares of ecologically fragile land against an application for diversion of 12,196.1829 hectares. (The area was subsequently reduced to exclude some quality forests). The fragile land proposed for planting included some restored vested forest land, which were brought under the Forest Department through the Kerala Forest (Vesting and Management of Ecologically Fragile Lands) Ordinance.

Besides, it stated that vested forest land, over 30 per cent slope, proposed to be diverted should be planted up with forestry species. Official sources said that they had no objection to these stipulations.

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