Jharkhand CM warns of action for deliberate cancellation of forest deeds

Ranch, June 24: Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren said that officers should not take the Abua Veer, Abua Dishom campaign lightly. Do not deliberately cancel forest patta applications.

He warned that government will take strict action against those who deliberately cancel the applications received for forest patta.

He asked to make Forest Rights Act simple and transparent, give forest patta with respect to people of all classes and communities including tribals and natives living in the forest areas of Jharkhand as per the decision of the Gram Sabha.

Addressing a workshop at Ranchi organized on the subject of ‘ABUA BIR ABUA DISHOM ABHIYAN’ (Empowering Communities-Ensuring Rights Decoding FRA-2006-Justice, Conservation and Challenges) Soren said rights to people of all classes including tribals and natives living in the forest areas of Jharkhand under the Forest Rights Act is one of the top priorities of the state government.

“The main objective of this campaign is to fulfill the shortcomings in the distribution of forest patta. It is believed that the state government will now move forward and achieve success in the forest patta distribution work as per the target,” said Soren.

Champai Soren said that the Forest Rights Act came into force in the year 2006. It has been 18 years since this Act came into force, yet state is still far behind in giving the rights of forest land to the families living in the forest area. Thousands of applications for forest patta have been cancelled in various offices of Jharkhand.

The Chief Minister said that under the campaign, the roadmap prepared by the state government for settlement of forest lease claims will have to be implemented at any cost.

Jharkhand’s Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Backward Class Welfare Department minister Deepak Birua said the Forest Rights Act is an important link to protect the families living in the forest area. At present, there is a need to deeply understand the purpose and sentiments of the Forest Rights Act.