Oppn protests eviction of forest dwellers

Bhopal, July 20(UNI) The opposition members in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly today expressed serious concern over forcible eviction of forest dwellers and sought clear demarcation of forest and revenue lands to bestow title deeds to the occupants.

Participating in a special debate on the situation arising out of eviction of people from both forest and revenue lands, Mr Sajjan Singh Verma and Mr Sukhdeo Panse (both Cong) and Dr Sunilam (SP) sought an assurance from the government that eviction should be stopped till the Centre presented the bill on Recognition of forest right bill in Parliament.

Mr Verma, who initiated the debate, arraigned the BJP government for continuing the eviction drive even on disputed land and said the BJP, which bagged sizeable reserved seats in the December 2003 election, was going back on its poll promise to bestow land title deeds on all forest dwellers. The problem was almost same in over 1000 forest villages, he said.

Mr Verma said several tribal families were forced to live without a roof in the rains as their hutments had been demolished.

The problem was accentuated with atrocities heaped upon forest dwellers in the absence of clear demarcation of forest and revenue lands, he added.

The opposition members contended that the Forest officials had destroyed standing crops, demolished houses and assaulted many forest dwellers, mostly tribals, who constituted 23 percent of the state population. Much concern was being expressed on the protection of wildlife, but the government was totally ignoring the forest dwellers, they added.

''Even the High Court directive to provide pucca houses to 13 families evicted in Betul district was not followed in other areas'', Dr Sunilam said.

Mr Sukhdeo Panse said there should be uniformity in carrying out development works in forest villages.

When Mr Verma pointed out that the state government had failed to send its comments to the Centre on the Recognition of forest rights bill, Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah said the state's recommendation was sent recently.

Mr Gajraj Singh Sikarwar(BJP) contended that the Congress had issued 'pattas' to several ineligible people and charged that no sincere effort was made to grant land ownership right to forest dwellers during Congress rule.

UNI SP 1615