Gadchiroli Nov. 8 (District Correspondent) The farmers in Etapalli taluka of the district have decided to intensify the agitation for their long pending forest rights pattas of the encroachment on the forest lands for the agricultural purposes.
The meeting was held recently at village Adange under Jambia Gram Panchayat area of the Etapalli taluka,in which the issue was deliberated and it was unanimously decided to follow up and intensify the agitational fight to demand approval to the encroachments from the government level.
Mr. Manohar Borkar, Chairman of Mulniwasi Hakka Sangharsha Samiti, presided over the meeting while Police Patil Dohe Hedo, Vice Chairman Raju Pungati, Dattu Usendi, Secretary Deepak Madavi were mainly present.
Forest rights claim proposals of ancestral encroached agriculture by tribal farmers are pending with the government’s Forest Rights Committee for nine years and despite repeated requests to the administration for approval of the pending claims, there is progress in giving approval, said the encroachers.
As the families of encroached farmers have no other source of income except encroached agriculture, a resolution was passed in the meeting to raise an agitation to demand approval of pending forest rights claims of encroached land.
On this occasion Vinod Durwa, Deu Gawde, Manoj Veladi, Ramji Gota, Deepak Kerkatta, Gomaji Atalami, Dulsa Hichami, Bandu Hedo, Yashwant Kowshi, Nandu Pungati, Bhima Raki and a large number of encroacher tribal farmers of the area were present in the meeting.
Photo A view of the meeting.
