DEVOLUTION OF FOREST MANAGEMENT - Vasundhara

4Bhuiyans are believed to be the primitive settlers of the area and Mr. Menjir Naik wasthe Gauntia 4 of this area. Suruguda people are said to have migrated from Loisingha(Balangir), Sundargarh, Ujjalpur (Sundergarh) areas.It is difficult to say when and how exactly the Agharia community migrated to thisplace. However, locals say that they migrated around 1856/57. In the said year, GopalPatel and Govind Patel purchased the Suruguda village from the king and became itsGauntia.During the pre independence period the village was directly under king’sadministration. At the village level, the Gauntia with help of ‘Panch Bhlaloks’(Council of elders) was responsible to mange the internal comprised of elders fromAgharia, Bhuiyan and Teli caste.2.3 Demographic DetailsSuruguda is a heterogeneousvillage with the presence ofthe following castes: Agharia,Brahmin, Bhuiyans, Harijan,Chamar, Gond, Teli,Dhanwar, Gauda, Kissan,Keuta, Lohar, and Majhi.Agharia is the dominant castegroupin the village.Detailed caste composition ofhh involved in forestprotection is given in Table 1.2.4 OccupationAgriculture, Service,Agricultural labour,construction labour,Blacksmith, Milkman,Carpentry and Bambooweaving are the few majoroccupation in the village. Thecarpenters get wood from theunprotected forest areas,which is about 15 to 20 Kmaway from the village. TheBamboo weaving is anoccasional occupation, onlyTable 1Households involved in forest protection:Hamlets Total Caste Groups hh 1(Pada) hhsdistn.Agharia Pada 19 Agharia 19Bhuinya Pada 38 BhuinyaAghariaDhobaTeliBarikaKeuta16103522Gauda Pada 24 GaudaDhanuarLoharHarijan Pada 22Brahman Pada 25ChamarHarijanAghariaGhasiBhuinyanTeliBrahmanAghariaKisanGondwhen they get any order they get engaged in the activity. A few households areinvolved in leaf plate and cup making as a supplementary economic activity.1563313153135103Bandha Pada 7 AghariaBhuinyan52Milu Pada 20 Kisan 20TOTAL HHS 1554 Gauntia (Village headman) is an intermediary at the village level between the king and the people.His responsibility was to collect revenue on behalf of the king. In lieu this service lie was allowed toenjoy certain benefits like rent-free land, free labour etc.