CHENNAI: The state forest department has flagged alleged corruption and exploitation of tribal claimants by its staff during the processing of land claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, in the Tiruvannamalai forest division under the Vellore circle.
Raising the concerns, A Udhayan, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) and head of forest force, has instructed all territorial chief conservators of forests, conservators of forests, field directors and divisional forest officers to conduct immediate, discreet and random field inspections in villages where individual claims are pending or are under process.
The instructions also require senior officials to closely monitor the conduct of field staff, including foresters, forest guards and forest watchers, in their dealings with forest rights committees and claimants.
In a recent communication, a copy of which is available with TNIE, Udhayan said field inquiries had brought to light allegations that certain field-level department personnel were demanding illegal gratification from tribal claimants for measuring, surveying and processing land boundaries.
According to the communication, the alleged unauthorised payments ranged from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per claim. Eligible claimants who refused to pay were allegedly subjected to arbitrary rejection of their applications or denial of land measurement.
The PCCF also flagged allegations of forced unpaid labour in the Tiruvannamalai division. Tribal villagers were being compelled to undertake departmental works, including clearing extensive stretches of fire lines and erecting bamboo tree guards for saplings, under the threat that their FRA application would otherwise be withheld or rejected. Wages for the same were pocketed by the department staff, sources said.
The department has warned that any instances of bribe collection, falsification of signatures or exploitation of unpaid labour must trigger immediate disciplinary proceedings and criminal prosecution against the personnel concerned.
Officials have also been asked to personally review the processing of claims in their respective jurisdictions and ensure effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act without compromising on forest conservation. The communication directed officials to report any detected malpractice to the state headquarters.