BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s Paudi Bhuyans, residing in Deogarh district, have become the fourth Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the country to get habitat rights under Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
The tribal community resides in 32 villages under Barkote block of Deogarh. As per the local Paudi Bhuyan Development Agency, while the total habitat area is 52,151 hectare, the forest area is 19,589.3 hectare. It has been approved by the sub-divisional level committee under FRA and was informed to the Deogarh administration by the ST and SC Development department on Wednesday.
There are 75 PVTGs in the country of which three Bharia in Madhya Pradesh and Kamar, Baiga tribes in Chhattisgarh have received habitat rights. 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, also known as FRA. Under section 2(h) of FRA, habitat includes the area comprising the customary habitat and such other habitats in reserved forests and protected forests of primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities and other forest dwelling STs.
Accordingly, the habitat rights will provide Paudi Bhuyans rights over their customary territory of habitation, socio-cultural practices, economic and livelihood means as well as protection and conservation of their natural and cultural heritage.
Commissioner-cum-secretary of the department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said this will ensure security for the tribal community’s future with guaranteed rights. “It is a significant step towards achieving the vision as pronounced in PM-JANMAN, which is to ensure the rights and meet development needs of PVTGs,” she said.
Sahoo added the process of recognition of habitat rights is complex and requires multiple levels of coordination and understanding. “SCSTRTI has been guiding the same which has resulted in Odisha achieving this,” she added.
With these rights, the tribals will have unrestricted access to minor first produce and other items core to their livelihood. They will have rights to land to preserve their cultural elements too. “Their opinion will be sought to implement any development work in the Paudi Bhuyan habitat in Deogarh,” said AB Ota, researcher and former director SCSTRTI.
The department had started the initiative of identifying the Paudi Bhuyan habitat and getting it approved from gram sabhas between 2020 and 2022 for conferment of habitat rights.