MUMBAI: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has issued a notification modifying the Forest Rights Act, 2006 that will enable forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other traditional forest-dwelling families to build houses in the neighbourhood forest areas.
The decision will provide a major relief to STs and other traditional forest dwelling families living in the scheduled areas of the state.
It will prevent the migration of forest-dwelling families outside their native villages and provide them housing areas by extending the village site into forest land in their neighbourhood.
The notification has been issued by the Governor using his powers under sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 5 of the Schedule V of the Constitution.
During his visits to Palghar, Nandurbar, Gadchiroli and other districts having scheduled areas, it had come to the notice of the Governor that certain Scheduled Tribes and forest-dwelling families in the Scheduled Areas were moving outside their native villages and migrating elsewhere in absence of housing areas for their growing families.