The Hindu : `PM not properly briefed on forest villages issue'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

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Other States - Madhya Pradesh

`PM not properly briefed on forest villages issue'

By Lalit Shastri

BHOPAL JUNE 22. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's assertion at his recent public rally in Mandla near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh that the Centre has already issued "No Objection Certificate'' for converting forest villages into revenue villages and it is now for the Madhya Pradesh Government to issue the requisite notification is being strongly criticised in official circles here.

The State Forest Department officials dealing with land management told The Hindu today that it seemed the Prime Minister was not properly briefed on the forest villages issue. The Centre has only provided "conditional'' sanction for one-third of the area falling under forest villages that are proposed to be denotified, they said, pointing out that the conditions that have been tagged along with the Central clearance are also too stringent.

``The Madhya Pradesh Government,'' a senior official said, "wants that all compartments should be transferred once the forest villages get converted to new revenue villages as the village area has to be divided into various segments comprising Nistaar, Charnoi and Basti.''

The total area that has to be notified is over 2 lakh hectares, he said, adding that the status of 925 forest villages hinges on the Central Government's clearance. Instead of considering the entire case at one go, the Centre has chosen to go piecemeal when it comes to issuing the NOC -- that too with stiff conditions like "the legal status of the villages will not be changed'' and "the pattas (ownership rights) to the villagers will be made effective only when the Supreme Court lifts the ban''.

Another tough condition relates to compensatory afforestation, rued another forester. "The Centre does not realise that in order to meet this condition over Rs. 750 crores and more than two lakh hectare of revenue land and an equal area of forest land would be needed just for changing the status of the forest villages to revenue villages.''

Forest villages were set up over a period of time in remote forest areas to provide uninterrupted labour for forestry operations. Some States have already converted the forest villages into revenue villages before the Forest (Conservation) Act was enacted in 1980.

In March 1984 the Union Agriculture Ministry had suggested to the States and Union Territories that they could confer inalienable rights on forest villages if they were in occupation of land for more than 20 years. But this was not fully implemented. Meanwhile, the National Forest Policy of 1988 dealt with the issue of forest villages by stating that these should be developed on par with revenue villages. The inter-ministerial Committee set up by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry had also examined the various aspects of tribal forest interface.

Considering that it would not be appropriate to deny the forest villagers the legitimate right over land allotted to them several decades ago for settlement besides the recommendations of the inter-ministerial committee, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has formulated some guidelines for dealing with the issue of forest villages.

Under the MoEF guidelines, forest villages can be converted into revenue villages after denotifying certain piece of land as forest. However, proposals seeking prior approval of the Union Government for this purpose under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, are required to be submitted by the State Government. Under this arrangement, the villagers are conferred heritable but inalienable rights. Moreover, it is suggested that administration of these and other revenue villages enclaved in forest areas preferably be entrusted to the State Forest Department.

The MoEF guidelines specify that wherever provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, are attracted, comprehensive proposals are required to be submitted to seek prior approval of the MoEF. The guidelines firmly state that all such proposals would be considered only when the States ensure that all measures are taken simultaneously and effectively.

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`PM not properly briefed on forest villages issue'