‘Forest dwellers’ rights not being undermined’

ITANAGAR, 7 Feb: Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that there are no reports from the states and the union territories (UT) to show that the rights of the Adivasis and forest dwellers vested under the FRA, 2006 and the PESA, 1996 are being undermined due to climate change mitigation action such as plantations.

“Plantations in forest areas are undertaken by state/UTs forest departments as per approved working plans, excluding the areas where individual forest rights titles are issued under the Forest Rights Act, 2006,” Choubey told Parliament on Monday.

“Wherever community forest rights have been recognized, plantations and other activities are taken up in consultation with local communities as per the approved working plans and micro plans prepared by the CFR management committee constituted under Rule 4 (e) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2007,” he said.