Question : CHECK ON ENCROACHMENT ON FOREST LAND

(a) whether the committee set up under the National Advisory Council Member severely indicted the forests bureaucracy for failing to uphold the Forest Rights Act, 2006;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Director General of forests rejected the recommendations of the committee;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government unearth the forests land encroached by the forests officials under dubious names;

(f) if so, the details thereof; and (g) if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)

(a)& (b) The Joint Committee of Ministry of Environment & Forests and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was constituted by the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The recommendations of the committee also relate to forest governance and the forest service. The suggested strategies in this regard inter-alia include greater interaction with forest dwellers and ensuring their all-round economic and social development, emphasis on the conservation of forest resources, role of watershed and landscape approach to forestry, greater interaction between agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry and change in training curricula of forest service. Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

(c) &(d) The then Director General of Forests and Special Secretary had expressed concerns in respect of certain recommendations.

(e)to (g) No such instances of forest land encroachment by forest officials have come to the notice of this Ministry. Action in such cases is taken by concerned State/UT Governments as per existing Acts/Rules.