RAIPUR (Chhattisgarh, India): Leader of the Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Charan Das Mahant has alleged that more than 50,000 Scheduled Tribe and other forest-dwelling families in the state continue to be deprived of their legal rights over fisheries and water bodies located on forest land.
Mahant has sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention in the matter. Mahant urged the President to direct the state authorities to immediately implement the provisions of Section 3 (1) (d) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006 (FRA), which grants eligible forest-dwelling communities rights over water bodies located on forest land, including fishing and the use of aquatic resources. According to Mahant, despite the Act being in force since December 2007, Chhattisgarh has failed to implement this crucial provision for nearly 18 years.
He alleged that more than 50,000 tribal and forest-dwelling families dependent on fisheries for their livelihood continue to be deprived of their legally guaranteed community rights. Approximately 1.58 lakh hectares of water bodies are situated on forest land across the state, he said. However, instead of granting rights to local communities, the state’s fisheries policy allegedly allows these water bodies to be leased out, while reservoirs larger than 1,000 hectares are allotted through tenders to private contractors, Mahant said. As a result, tribal and traditional forest-dwelling communities, who should legally hold community rights over these resources, are being forced to work as laborers under outside contractors, he also said.
Mahant has requested the President to direct the Governor and Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh to ensure immediate implementation of the provisions of the FRA Act so that affected families could secure their rightful economic and livelihood benefits.
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