BHUBANESWAR: The Juangs of Jajpur have become the fifth Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the country and second in the state to get habitat rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
The district-level committee under the Forest Rights Act approved the habitat rights of the Juang community on Tuesday. The rights will provide the Juangs uninterrupted access and legal recognition to their ancestral land and resources.
Officials of the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Class Welfare department said the Juangs have long been the custodians of their ancestral lands, practising sustainable living and maintaining a unique cultural heritage. Along with the habitat rights, 165 individual forest rights, 11 community forest rights and community forest resources rights were approved by the committee.
Habitat rights are given to PVTGs under section 3(1) (e) of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
Commissioner-cum-secretary of the department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said the Juang tribals reside in 13 villages under Sukinda block of Jajpur. According to the Birhor and Juang Development Agency (BJDA) of Sukinda, the total habitat area is 28,168 hectare (ha) while the forest area is 16,145 ha and revenue forest area is 978.85 ha.
Officials said the approval of habitat rights secures legal recognition of the Juang lands, enabling sustainable development, better resource management, conservation of their natural heritage and enhanced protection against encroachment of their lands.
Further, it formalises the boundaries and resources of their lands which paves way for rightful implementation of their habitat rights.