Tiruvannamalai District Collector B. Murugesh has issued forest title rights to 1,569 tribal people and other traditional forest dwellers in the Jawadhu Hills of Tiruvannamalai as part of the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
Officials of the Department of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare said that 49,400 hectares of forestland would be covered under the initiative as beneficiaries could do farming and collect minor forest produce on these forestlands. Some of the minor forest produce that could be collected on allotted forestland includes Indian gooseberry, haritaki (Kadukai), soapnut (pundhikottai), tamarind, and honey. “Those who are eligible but have not applied yet, can apply for the title rights,” Mr. Murugesh said.
As part of the initiative, Mr. Murugesh handed over forest title rights to 102 tribal people and other traditional forest dwellers in 89 villages that have been classified for social forestry title rights in Jawadhu Hills at a function held in the taluk office of Jamunamarathur in the hills a few days ago.
Mr. Murugesh had organised 25 district-level committee meetings to discuss forest title rights for tribal people and other forest dwellers. Subsequently, beneficiaries were identified. Alongside, 568 applications that were initially rejected for forest title rights have got the title rights after scrutiny done by an expert team.
Under FRA, tribal people, who had been residing in the forests prior to December 13, 2005, and non-tribal people, who have been residing in the forests for three generations, for 75 years as on December 13, 2005, should be given title rights.
Implementation of this law is monitored by the committees headed by the Chief Secretary at the State-level, Collectors in the districts, and Revenue Divisional Officers at the sub-divisional level.
