Forest Dept Told to Help Tribals Farm in Their Patta Lands

Hyderabad: Jatohu Hussain Nayak, member of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, said that it had come to his notice that in several districts, forest department officials were making it difficult for tribals to practice agriculture in forest lands for which they have been issued pattas.

At a meeting with senior department officials including district forest officers, at Aranya Bhavan, Nayak said he received complaints from several farmers that officials were not allowing them to dig borewells, or preventing extension of power supply into forest areas where they have land on which they are permitted to grow crops. “What is the point of pattas if they are not allowed agriculture,” he asked.

The department was not just responsible for protecting forests but it should also ensure rights of tribals living in those forests are not trampled. He also urged the officials to make the tribals their partners in ecotourism activities. To the question on why forest officials do not have firearms for their protection, principal chief conservator of forests RM Dobriyal informed him that the matter was under government consideration.