ES Reporter

RAGA, Nov 11: Minister for Environment and Forests, Mama Natung said that the state government will constitute a committee to study the ground realities and to send a proposal to the Centre for the de-reservation of reserve forests areas.
Natung was addressing the gathering at Puchigeko, under Kamle district during his visit to Sikiputu village. “The sole purpose of my visit to the village is to do physical inspection regarding the problems being faced by the villagers due to   Reserved Forests in their lands" he said. The Minister also added that the state government is already working on the issue as there are many villages in different districts which are erroneously under Reserved Forests and hampering the development projects.
He also disclosed that the issue of De-reservation of forests cannot be solved by the state government only or by the central government as it is directly under the Supreme Court. "Moreover, it is not the fault of the present government  also but due to unparalleled toposheets filed by officials through aerial surveys during NEFA days it has created such a crisis," Natung said. However, he informed that the state government will constitute a committee and submit the report to the Centre for de-reservation so that people can get back their rights on their land.
Earlier, Chairman  Yedi Lomdak Welfare Society  Tamar Yedi informed that as many as four villages  Sikiputu,Gichi Lomdak,Pega Lomdak and Ango  Lomdak as well as their community lands have been notified under Kamle Wildlife Sanctuary and in 2020 it has been again proposed for Eco-Sensitive Zone that too without any consent of the villagers.
Since 1944, people of these four villages are living in the area and are totally dependent on the community land for their survival. In 1976 the area was notified as Reserved Forest Area, without any hearing and meeting with villagers, then again notified as Kamle Wildlife sanctuary. Stating that, the Chairman informed that records of the existence of these villages and villagers are also available in the government census.
Further, he appealed to the Minister to immediately look into the matter and declare the area as de-reserved for the greater interest of the people and their right to their ancestral land.
Gaon Burah, Pega Lomdak Village-Telli Lomdak also appealed to the Minister to confer all possible help to de-reserve the area. For many decades, we are living in the area, and are totally dependent on the lands for our livelihood. Such a forceful tactic from the government is not welcomed and we will do every possible thing to protect our land, he added.
Among others, MLA-Raga  Tarin Dakpe, Chairman of Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation (APFC) Talo Mugli and ZPC-Kamle  Biri Shanti Nido  and officers from Forest Department also attended the meeting.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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