Mahayuti obstructed FRA implementation, denying Adivasis of benefits: Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra obstructed the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, depriving millions of tribals of its benefits, and asserted that the law's implementation was the key priority of the Adivasi Sankalp announced by Rahul Gandhi earlier this year.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Manmohan Singh-led government in 2006 passed the revolutionary Forest Rights Act (FRA), which granted Adivasi and forest-dwelling individuals and communities legal rights to manage their own forests, and economically benefit from the forest produce they collect.

The FRA provides for both individual and community rights, he said, pointing out that Menda Lekha in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district in April 2011 became the first community to secure forest rights privileges, with the gram sabha getting control over the use of bamboo, he said in a post on X.

"The BJP and the Mahayuti have, however, obstructed the implementation of the FRA, depriving millions of Adivasis of its benefits," Ramesh alleged.   

Only 52 per cent (2,06,620) of the 4,01,046 individual claims filed have been granted, he pointed out.

Since then, the land titles distributed in Maharashtra cover only 23.5 per cent (11,769 square kilometres) of the 50,045 square kilometres eligible for community rights, the Congress leader said.

"Fair, honest implementation of the Forest Rights Act is a key priority of the Congress' six-point Adivasi Sankalp, announced by Rahul Gandhi in Nandurbar on 12th March, 2024, during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," Ramesh said.

Listing the six points of the Sankalp, Ramesh said, "Jal-jangal-zameen ka kanuni adhikaar: Settlement of pending Forest Rights Act claims (pattas) within one year. A transparent process to review all rejected claims will be set up within six months."  The second point is of "sudhaar", which entails withdrawal of all anti-Adivasi amendments by the Modi government to the Forest Conservation Act and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013, he said.

The third point under the sankalp is "pehchaan", which entails notification of all habitations where STs are the largest social group as Scheduled Areas, he said.

The sankalp also includes "Apni Dharti, Apna Raj", which calls for establishment of state laws to implement Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act and establishing true "village self-government", as well as "swabhiman", which talks about providing legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) to be given to minor forest produce, he said.

The sixth point is of "Budget adhikaar", which states that the share of budget for SCs/STs will be legally required to be equal to their share of the population, Ramesh said.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

Elections to the 2088-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held in a single phase on November 20.

The votes will be counted on November 23, a day before the current Maharashtra Assembly completes its term.