Jajpur: Thirteen of the 62 tribal communities native to Odisha have been classified as Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs). As per the 2011 Census, the state ranks third nationally in terms of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population, which stands at 95,90,756, accounting for 22.85 per cent of the total population.
Around 32,562 out of total 53,845 villages in the state fall under the jurisdiction of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), covering a land area of around 35,739 sq kms.
Odisha has been recognised as a leading state in the country for granting 4.56 lakh individual forest rights pattas.
However, the process of recognition and development of villages under FRA is not up to the mark. The progress of converting forest land inhabited by tribal communities into revenue villages has not been encouraging, as admitted by the Department of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare. The former departmental secretary had instructed all district Collectors October 18, 2023, to take necessary measures in this regard.
Despite these directives, only 1,766 tribal individuals in Jajpur’s Danagadi and Sukinda blocks have been allotted houses under FRA, with reports indicating that 1,385 of these houses have been completed. Indicating a significant lag in recognising community forest rights across the state, the department has implemented ‘Mo Jungle Jami Yojana’ (MJJY) scheme.
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Under this initiative, 352 villages under Danagadi, Sukinda, Korei, and Barchana tehsils of Jajpur district have been brought under the FRA. However, the expected progress in the development process has not been fully realised. Reports indicate that around 9,200 families in Danagadi, Sukinda, Korei, and Barchana blocks have received land pattas under this Act, but only 1,766 individuals have been provided with housing.
Many residential areas, such as Gandhi Nagar Leprosy Colony, are yet to be surveyed. In Kusumundia village under Rasol panchayat of Sukinda block, land has been allotted to 87 Mankidia tribal families, with a total amount of `3.25 crore sanctioned from the DMF fund in 2021-22 for house construction. However, permanent housing for the tribals still remains a distant dream.
To strengthen livelihood and ensure overall financial development for tribal communities, the government has implemented the MJJY scheme, aiming to provide livelihood and food security for all eligible claimants.
The process including the formation of Forest Rights Committees, individual and community rights claims, certificate issuance, joint meetings with neighbouring villages’ Forest Rights Committees, joint verification of claims with Revenue and Forest officials, final Gram Sabha approval, and claim submissions at the sub-division level Forest Rights Committee were all to be completed by March 2024. However, this process has also shown dismal progress.
When asked, District Welfare Offi cer (DWO) Sharat Chandra Behera stated that the forest land survey and identifi cation process has been expedited with an aim to complete it within the government’s stipulated timeframe.
PNN
