CSD hails Odisha Govt’s decision to dispose IFR claims

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Bhubaneswar: Campaign
For Survival and Dignity (CSD) has hailed the recent decision taken by the (Forest
Rights Act) FRA State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC), Odisha to review and
dispose around 23,59,27 Individual Forest Rights (IFR) claims rejected and
pending at different levels since 2009.

As per the FRA Status
of SLMC, by the end of 31st March 2014, 32,88,08 IFR titles have been
distributed out of the 564735 IFR claims filed at the Gram Sabha level. Out of
the rest 23,59,27 IFR claims 13,49,19 IFR claims have been shown as rejected
(74,161 by GS, 59,446 by SDLC and 1,312 by DLC) while 28666 IFR claims (i.e
5204,  20148 and  3314) have been shown pending at the GS, SDLC
and DLC level respectively. 
CSD has contended that
as per FRA, 2006 the original Gram Sabha resolution duly maintained in a
register should be at the Gram Sabha/FRC. However in most of the cases SDLCs
used the printed Gram Sabha Resolutions duly prescribed (as specimen copy) by
SLMC in which signatures of the FRC/Gram Sabha members were taken and were sent
to the SDLC. As a result most of the Gram Sabha does not have their
original/copy of the GS resolutions and details of the Individual forest rights
claims filed. Even in many Gram Sabhas, list of FRC members are not available.
Even in the last four years, the SDLCs and DLCs have totally failed to inform
on the Status of the claims to the aggrieved IFR claimants and the concern Gram
Sabhas and have denied them from their right to file appeals despite of
provisions under Section 6(2) and 6(4) of the Forest Rights Act, and Section
14(1) and Section 15(1) FR Rules, 2008.
Accordingly, CSD has
urged upon the SLMC to return back all the original “Gram Sabha Resolutions”
along with all the IFR claims to the concern Gram Sabha/FRC so that they can
make necessary corrections and can resubmit or can file appeal at the SDLC and
DLC level and can take advantage of decision taken to review the rejected and
pending IFR claims in the State.   

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