After Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Congress would protest against alleged dilution of Forest Rights Act across the country, said K. Raju, Chairman of SC Department of All-India Congress Committee here on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Raju said UPA had enacted FRA for giving rights over forest resources to tribals and scheduled castes in the country, but after Narendra Modi government came to power, the Act had been diluted to a great extent.
“Congress has planned a 9-month campaign which will culminate during December 16 this year to commemorate 10 years completion of the legislation. During the campaign, tribals and scheduled caste communities would be sensitised about their rights and a public movement would be built against weakening of the FRA,” he said.
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Launching a scathing attack on NDA government, State Congress president Prasad Harichandan said, “the NDA government had just the opposite of the objectives of FRA. Whereas tribal and SC communities have rights over forest resources, the same is handed over to industrial houses.”
Citing example of fresh attempts to explore mining possibilities in Niyamgiri Hill Range of Odisha, Mr. Harichandan said, “tribals through Gram Sabhas passed resolution opposing proposal of any kind of mining in Niyamgiri. But after Modi government came to power, Odisha government saw an opportunities and sought reconsideration of the gram sabha resolutions which were certified by two district judges.”
“In fact, the NDA government at the Centre and BJD government in Odisha have been trying to weaken the institution of Gram Sabhas”, he said
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