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Protected Area Network in Orissa - Vasundhara

Protected Area Network in Orissa - Vasundhara

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widow pensions etc. Why not we? Are we not part of Indian Territory? +++ I amattend<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> all most all the meet<strong>in</strong>gs conducted by Gram Panchayat and also rais<strong>in</strong>gour problems, but nobody is listen<strong>in</strong>g or address<strong>in</strong>g our problems. What can I do,”says Mr. Dasu Pradhan, the ward member of Tarava forest village. This typeof situation prevails <strong>in</strong> most of the forest villages as these villages are notbe<strong>in</strong>g converted <strong>in</strong>to Revenue Village, by which the <strong>in</strong>habitants are deprivedof the benefits of various government programmes and schemes like old agepension, widow pension, Anthodaya Yojana and Annapurna Yojana. Dur<strong>in</strong>gdiscussion with the Sarapancha of Jaganathpur Gram Panchayat he expressedhis <strong>in</strong>capability. He says,“Though all the households <strong>in</strong> these villages are com<strong>in</strong>gunder BPL category I can not do anyth<strong>in</strong>g for them as they are not the <strong>in</strong>habitant ofrevenue village. I am totally handicapped.”In 2000 state government had submitted proposals to MoEF for conversion oftwo forest villages namely Tarava & Bhurkundi, <strong>in</strong>to revenue village. Theother forest village namely Asan Bahal requested DFO & District Collector forrelocation of their village as it falls under the elephant corridor. Accord<strong>in</strong>g tothe ACF of Satkosiya Wildlife Division though they have submitted theproposal <strong>in</strong> the year 2000 due to Hon'ble Supreme Courts order (<strong>in</strong> I.A. No. 2<strong>in</strong> WP No. 337/1995 and I.A. No. 16) it is ly<strong>in</strong>g with the GoI.• No Legal Entitlement over the Allotted Land:Though forest department allotted 667 acres of forestland at different periodsfor their survival, but they didn't issue any patta to any of the householdsresid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the village till the date of visit. As they do not have record ofrights over the land cultivated & resided by them they are not able to accessany loan from the nationalized banks. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the emergency situations, theyhave been tak<strong>in</strong>g loans from the local people at a higher rate of <strong>in</strong>terest.Present rate of <strong>in</strong>terest is around 20% per month. Even for obta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g bail, theyhave been depend<strong>in</strong>g upon others for which the ‘Jam<strong>in</strong>dars’ (the person whotakes bail) demands huge money <strong>in</strong> lieu of bail. Even these families are alsobe<strong>in</strong>g deprived from gett<strong>in</strong>g of the caste certificates 6 . As these villages are85

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