BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has decided to appeal to the Union Government to amend the Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006, and the rules made under it to treat other traditional forest dwellers equally with forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribe communities. Speaking in the Assembly on Thursday, Forest, Environment, and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre said 9,136.27 acres belonging to dwellers, including farmers, was acquired to construct the Linganamakki Dam, but the land was not notified even though the families have been living in the vacated space for the last 50- 60 years.
“All the governments in the past have tried their best but have not succeeded. Now, the government has filed an interlocutory petition in the Supreme Court. The same is the case with the Forest Rights Act. In 2006, the Centre implemented the Act, and framed rules in 2008. But the rules have not been notified by the Ministry of Tribal Welfare. But is applicable to the Forest Department. Forest rights are being availed of by the STs living in forests and depending on forests for their livelihood before December 2005. However, the other forest dwellers, have to submit documents to prove that their three generations were staying in the forests to get the benefits under the Forest Rights Act. The Centre must amend the Acts...,” he added.