Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Mo Jungle Jami Yojana’ on the occasion of the International Day of the World Indigenous Peoples Day.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that this scheme will create a milestone in the development of tribals with the active cooperation of all.
The objective of the scheme is to ensure the rights of all eligible individuals and communities over forest land. Along with this, all development programs will be linked to this scheme and steps will be taken to create stability in the livelihood of the tribals. Hitherto not surveyed forest villages will be accorded the status of revenue villages.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the government’s aim is to reach all the eligible beneficiaries in this scheme. He said that steps are being taken to ensure that no eligible person is left out.
The scheme seeks to recognise the contribution of tribals towards the continuous development of forest resources. He said that it will also help in bringing stability to climate change and the economy and livelihood of tribals, he said.
Stating that Odisha is a front runner in providing forest land rights; Naveen said that so far 4, 50,000 tribals and forest-dwelling families have been given forest land rights.
Similarly, more than 4000 Gram Sabhas have been given community rights. Along with this, the process to accord revenue village status to hitherto not surveyed forest villages is underway, he said.
The Chief Minister asserted that his government has been committed to the welfare of tribals since 2000. The first important decision of his government was to grant the right to collect minor forest produce to the panchayats. Today, a lot of work has been done in this direction. There has been remarkable progress among tribals in the sphere of education, health and various other fields; they have also earned recognition in various fields.
Minister of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste Development Jagannath Saraka said the aim of this scheme is to recognise the rights of tribals as managers of forest land. Steps have been taken to streamline the process and give rights to eligible persons within the specified time frame, he added.
