Congress' Ahmed Patel accuses Jual Oram of putting adivasis at mercy of businessmmen

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel has accused Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram of “allowing Maharashtra to exercise absolute control over forest management and sale of forest produce,” by diluting provisions in the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Patel alleged the move will provide undue benefits to private firms besides putting, “the future of adivasis at the mercy of officials and private businessmen.”

The letter coincides with reports that Baba Ramdev was seeking access to forest produce of Maharashtra. Patel demanded why Oram did a U-turn and allowed “dilution of the Act.” In his January 19 letter to the tribal ministry, Patel alleged the move, “amounts to nothing but a total dilution of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, through executive discretion.”

Pointing out that Forest Rights Act had recognised that the adivasi community shall be the true custodian of its resources and produce and that the Act was intended to provide legally enforceable commercial rights to adivais, Patel told Oram, “the irony is that the tribal villages of Maharashtra were the first to benefit due to the enactment of the Forest Rights Act.