Bilaspur | Jun 14, 2016: Union tribal ministry has sought clarification from state government over cancellation of community forest rights of a village in Surguja north Chhattisgarh. The district collector, DFO and district tribal department had cancelled the community forest rights of the village in January this year.

In a letter written to village panchayat, administration had said that the community forest rights of the village are hampering mining activity at Parsa East Kete Basan coal mines being operated by Adani. However, Union ministry is of the view that it is the mining activity in said areas that is hampering the community forest rights of the village.

Sources said the ministry had written a letter to state government on April 25, 2016, seeking clarification but is yet to get a response. Joint secretary of Union tribal ministry had stated clearly that on factual and legal grounds, cancellation of the community forest rights of village Ghatbarra in Surguja is contrary to the provisions of law and spirit of Forest Rights Act. The Parsa East Kete Basan coal block is situated in Hasdeo Aranya area of Surguja district in north Chhattisgarh. The said coal block was allotted to Rajasthan State Electricity Corporation Ltd in 2006-07. The company submitted an application for diversion of the forest land in January 2009 and later submitted a revised application in March 2011.

A sub-committee of Central forest advisory committee inspected the area in May 2011 and found out that residents of the area do not have information about recognition of forest rights act 2006. At the same time, process of recognition of forest rights was not completed prior to diversion of forest land. The forest advisory committee rejected the application of diversion of the said forest land on the basis of the finding of the said sub-committee.

However, in March 2012, keeping aside the rejection of the forest advisory committee, Union forest and environment minister awarded the final permission for coal mining in the area.

In the meanwhile, villagers of Ghatbarra kept opposing permission for coal mining in the area alleging that the said activity was being carried out on the basis of holding fake gram sabha and despite the fact that forest rights laws were being flouted. Eventually in September 2013, four villages affected by coal mining in the area, including Ghatbarra, were awarded community forest rights in September 2013.

The district administration, however, cancelled these rights in January this year following a complaint by the mining company that the community forest rights awarded to the said villages were hampering mining permission given to the company. The said forest rights include collection of small forest produce and all sorts of traditional forest rights.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)