Protect forest dwellers from eviction, states told

DAYS after defending the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 in the Supreme Court, the Union government has directed all states and Union territories to ensure that no tribal or forest-dwelling community is forcibly evicted from wildlife sanctuaries or national parks until their rights are fully recognised and settled.

- JITENDRA CHOUBEY @New Delhi

In a letter dated October 22, Vibhu Nayar, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), instructed Chief Secretaries to strictly follow the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The letter, seen by this newspaper underscores that the implementation of the FRA remains slow across several states and UTs despite nearly two decades since its enactment.