Bhubaneswar, Feb 27: The Orissa government will not evict Tribals living in forest areas without making provision for their rehabilitation, Minister for Revenue and Law Biswabhushan Harichandan told the state assembly today. The Centre had forwarded the state government certain guidelines on the basis of the directive of the Supreme Court in this regard which was applicable to all states, Harichandan said in reply to a question by Harihar Karan (Congress). But these people would not be evicted without making suitable provision for their rehabilitation, he said. The minister said the encroachment in forest areas before October 25, 1980, from which date the Forest (Conservation) Act came into force, could be regularised with prior approval of the Centre under section two of the aforesaid act.
Accordingly, the government had launched a special drive from May 2000 for joint survey by the revenue and forest department officials to identify the pre-1980 encroachments in the forest areas for their regularisation, he said. Meanwhile, proposals relating to 22 districts had been submitted to the Centre for approval. Steps would be taken to declare the encroachments, prior to October 25, 1980, in the forest areas as revenue villages and to issue pattas in favour of eligible encroachers after receipt of approval, the minister said.
Bureau Report