Champai Soren

Ranchi, June 24 (HS). Chief Minister Champai Soren said that providing all sections of the community, including the tribals and natives living in the forest areas of Jharkhand, their rights under the Forest Rights Act is one of the top priorities of the state government.

The Chief Minister was addressing a one-day workshop on Abua Bir Abua Dishom Abhiyan (empowering communities-ensuring rights, FRA-2006 – justice, protection and challenges) organized in the auditorium of Srikrishna Institute of Public Administration (ATI) on Monday. He said that every point of Abua Veer, Abua Dishom Abhiyan was discussed in detail in today's workshop. I am confident that this workshop will prove to be historic and a milestone for Jharkhand.

The Chief Minister said that by making the Forest Rights Act simple and transparent, the people of all classes and communities, including the tribals and natives living in the forest areas of Jharkhand, should be given forest patta with respect as per the decision of the Gram Sabha. As per the recommendation of the Gram Sabha, whether the demand for land in the application received for forest patta is in hectares or acres, we will provide them that much land on priority basis, there is a need to work with this goal.

Officers should discharge their duties by awakening strong willpower

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that after this workshop, the Abua Veer Abua Dishom campaign will gain momentum. The main objective of this campaign is to fulfil the shortcomings in forest patta distribution. I not only hope, but am confident that the state government will definitely move ahead and achieve success in the forest patta distribution work as per the target.

The Chief Minister told the officials that there is a need to not only distribute forest pattas among the families residing in the forest area but also to involve them in every aspect of development. It is the moral responsibility of all of us to strengthen them socially, economically and educationally.

The Chief Minister said that all of us should together create such a system in Jharkhand where there is no discrimination in the development of rural and urban people, everyone should have equal development, Jharkhand can present a better example of the development model in the country. The Chief Minister told the officials that all of you are aware of the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, you just need to awaken a strong willpower within yourself and discharge your responsibilities.

Do not cancel the applications received for forest patta

The Chief Minister said that the Forest Rights Act was implemented in the year 2006. It has been 18 years since this Act came into force. Yet we are 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 public will have to answer why these applications have been cancelled. The state government will take strict action against those officers who will deliberately try to cancel the applications received for forest patta.

The Chief Minister told the officials that today we all have not come to this workshop to discuss about giving forest patta of two decimal and three decimal land to the applicants, but have gathered to take a pledge to give the forest dwellers their full rights. The Chief Minister said that whoever has whatever right on the forest land, we will make it available to them with respect. The families living in the forest area can do agriculture work on the said land, whether it is paddy cultivation, Rabi crop or forest products, and live their life with respect.

Abua Veer Abua Dishom an important campaign

The Chief Minister said that the Abua Veer Abua Dishom campaign should not be taken lightly. This is an important and effective campaign. The roadmap prepared by the state government for the settlement of forest lease claims under this campaign will have to be implemented at all costs. Today all of us responsible people have gathered in this workshop and all of us will have to discharge our responsibilities promptly and with full honesty, only then the tribal and indigenous families here will be able to get the benefits of the Forest Rights Act.

Our ancestors started the movement for rights from the land of Kolhan

The Chief Minister said that the tribal-indigenous people of Jharkhand fought for their rights including water, forest, land three-four hundred years ago. Our ancestors had started a big movement to protect water, forest, land from the land of Kolhan. In this movement, many brave men were shot in the chest. It is the result of the sacrifice and renunciation of our ancestors that the Forest Rights Act has been implemented in the country. After years of struggle, finally AFRA could be implemented in the year 2006.

The Chief Minister said that the dense forests that we all see today, the protectors of these forests are also the people of our tribal-indigenous families. The forest could be saved only due to the village committees formed in the forest area. The tribal-indigenous people here are very simple and ordinary people but these people never step back to protect their tradition, culture and existence. The Chief Minister said that the all-round development of these sections is the priority of our government.

There is a need to change the work style and move forward with a positive mindset

Minister of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Backward Class Welfare Department Deepak Birua said that in today's workshop we are all contemplating on a serious issue. The Forest Rights Act is an important link to protect the families living in forest areas. In the present times, there is a need to deeply understand the purpose and sentiments of the Forest Rights Act.

He said that the Forest Rights Act was made in the year 2006, yet even after 18 years, we have not been able to provide the full benefits of this law to the tribals and natives here, which is a matter of concern. He appealed to the officers present to implement the provisions of the Forest Rights Act by bringing changes in their working style and with a positive mindset.