Baripada: Even as the forest and environment department is reportedly trying to dislodge people living in 285 villages of Similpal in Mayurbhanj district on the ground of the area being an eco-sensitive zone, the villagers are up in arms against it. They have staged protests against it Thursday.
Thousands of people united under the banner of Zilla PESA Gram Sabha Coordination Committee congregated at Madhuban ground and moved to the collectorate.
They submitted a memorandum addressed to the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and the secretary of the Union ministry for forest and environment through the district administration.
They also forwarded copies of the memorandum to the President, the Governor and the District Collector in this regard.
Zilla PESA Gramsabha Coordination Committee alleged that thousands of people have been residing inside and around the Similiapal sanctuary. Almost all of them belong to scheduled tribes and solely depend on minor forest produce for their livelihood.
Now, the government cites a reason that these people are living in eco-sensitive zone and intends to drive them out from there, it lamented.
The committee alleged that the government was not implementing the Panchayat Extension Scheduled Area (PESA) Act which aims to foster socio-economic and cultural development of tribals.
If the PESA Act is executed, gram sabhas or village councils formed under it will be vested with powers to decide on issues related to collection and marketing of minor forest produce, minor irrigation, selection of beneficiaries, implementation of various projects and management of educational institutions and Anganwadi centres.
The PESA Act will also ensure protection of water, forest and land, tribal tradition, culture and livelihood. As this Act has not been in force, tribals have to face displacement from their age-old dwellings due to various projects.
The committee also pointed out that such a move to displace tribals from their homeland is shocking and threatens their existence.
Tribal leaders like Panduram Hembram, Nanaram Murmu, Ramdas Marandi, Shankar Marandi and Karmimani Kisku decried that since Independence, tribals have been deprived of their constitutional rights while there is a need to execute the PESA Act so that development of poor tribals will be achieved.