Hyderabad: VKP-T welcomes Centre's decision on Community Forest Rights for Girijans

Hyderabad: Vanavasi Kalyan Parishad- Telangana (VKP-T) urged the State governments to implement the Centre's decision to accord every village and Gram Sabha with Community Forest Rights (CFR).

In a statement on Tuesday the VKP-T State president and Akhila Bharata Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, vice-president H K Nagu stressed that the Gram Sabha should be provided with technical and financial help to empower them. Moreover, it will help them to play an active role in the empowerment of the Girijans to lead a dignified life.

Nagu's statement has come against the backdrop of a joint statement by the Union Minister for Tribal Welfare, Arjun Munda and Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday, to give rights to manage the forest resources to the Gram Sabha and Grijans in the country.

Welcoming the decision, Dr Nagu hoped that any shortcomings that might crop up in the implementation of the decision might be corrected by the State and the Centre.

Dr Nagu said that the Tribal Welfare Ministry acting as a nodal agency to implement the decision has issued guidelines to all the state chief secretaries. However, a lack of coordination between the tribal welfare and forest departments have been resulting in the loss of rights of Girijan Associations and groups regarding forest rights.

He said that the Forest Rights Act of 2006 is in force. However, there are different rules and regulations of the forest department. Besides, misinterpretation by the forest officials has contributed to several states, not to accorded rights on Girijans. To manage the rejuvenation, protection and conservation of forests, he added.