MP to withdraw forest cases against tribals

Bhopal, Jul 29 (UNI) Along with granting land ownership rights to all forest dwellers, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to withdraw about 1.74 lakh cases of forest offences registered against tribals and other encroachers.

Of the total beneficiaries, three-fourth belonged to scheduled tribes, official sources said today.

The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here yesterday, also decided to drop cases pertaining to forest offences registered upto December 31, 2007 and prior to it under the Indian Forest Act 1927, Madhya Pradesh Vanopaj (Vyapar Viniyaman) Adhiniyam 1969 and Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in which prosecution has not been launched in the courts yet.

Cases registered against tribals under the Indian Forest Act 1927 prior to December 13, 2005 for encroachment on forest land shall be dropped.

Cases put up in courts will also be dropped after moving application in the court for its withdrawal, the sources said, adding if recovery of any compensation is pending in such cases then it will be waived.

Action will also be initiated to give back such material other than forest produce to those people from whom it was seized and which had not been forfeited as per statutory provisions, the sources added.

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