HYDERABAD: Several organisations from across the country working with Adivasis and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) met at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram here on Saturday and resolved to firmly oppose the Forest Conservation Rules (FCR), 2022 passed by the Central Cabinet on June 28, 2022.
All the organisations were of the common opinion that the new rules will completely undermine the rights of the Adivasis and OTFDs as entitled under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, including their rights to conduct gram sabhas to decide on the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.
“The new laws will completely undermine all securities granted to tribals and OTFDs under the FRA, 2006, the LARR 2013, the PESA Act 1996, and the Rights under Schedule V and VI of the Constitution. They will also completely undermine safety and security laws and measures prescribed for the preservation of the environment, ecology, biodiversity, and climate, which will threaten wide sections of the people and the national economy,” said Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM).
“The new rules outline a process where the Screening Committee of States and UTs shall approve and forward applications of the User Agencies, which are usually the corporates and MNCs, send them for ‘in-principle approval to the Forest Advisory Committee of MoEFCC, after which the State govt will get the corporate to deposit the Compensatory Afforestation fund.
Then the final approval will be given for diversion and thereafter, the Collector will be told to implement social safety laws, including FRA, 2006. This is totally undemocratic and unjust,” said Kiran Vissa, representative of Rythu Swarajya Vedika.
The organisations appealed to all democratic forces, mass organisations of other sections of struggling people including students, women, industrial workers, political parties, and others to come forward to support a struggle to force the Centre to withdraw Forest Conservation Rules 2022, to ensure all rights under FRA, 2006, without delay, and to stop violence against Adivasis and OTFDs.