KANNIYAKUMARI: In an impetus to the measures underway to uplift lives of tribal families, the Kanniyakumari district administration is leaving no stone unturned to provide land titles to the families under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. This year alone, as many as 145 such families in the district have received rights to land parcels. Efforts are also on to extend the assistance to 26 more families.
Sources said the district's forest cover houses 47 Kani tribal settlements. Land rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, were issued to around 150 tribal families in five settlements in 2017. However, a lull followed and the issuance of more land deeds got delayed owing to several reasons.
The major roadblock for the authorities was estimating the outlay of land occupied by the families as of December 13, 2005 (the cut-off date as per the Act). In most cases, the families were occupying more land compared to the occupation outlay that was mentioned in the government records way back in 2005. Subsequently, the district forest rights committee took all-out efforts to resolve this issue.
The grama sabha, divisional sub-committee and the district forest rights committee received land title claims from the tribal families. The forest rights panel headed by the District Collector, comprises District Forest Officer, District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer and three representatives from the tribal community, began to meet every month.
On the occasion of Republic Day this year, land titles were issued to 61 beneficiaries from Perunguruvi, Purayidam and Mookkaraikkal settlements, said District Forest Officer M Ilayaraja. "Later, 84 beneficiaries from Koovaikkadu and Serukidathukani also received the land rights. Grama sabhas have not yet been constituted in some settlements. The forest rights panel is taking efforts to spread awareness of the benefits under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and ensure participation of the community to avail assistance that they are eligible for. We are also working towards providing the settlements road connectivity, drinking water supply and electricity connections," Ilayaraja told TNIE.
The land deeds will also pave the way for the community to sell their agricultural produce outside the forest limits and transport cultivation equipment and construction materials into the forest. "Collector M Arvind, District Forest Officer Ilayaraja, Padmanabhapuram Sub-Collector P Alarmelmangai and District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer R Nagarajan have been making sincere efforts to uplift the tribal communities," District Forest Rights Committee