The Forest and Environment Minister Harak Singh Rawat assured the House that the State Government has no intention of disturbing the rightful occupants from the forest lands.
He gave this assurance when the Congress MLA from Kedarnath Manoj Rawat raised the issue of forest dwellers and their rights. The minister said that the forest department has served notices to many villagers in Chamoli and Rurdraprayag district and threatened to demolish their houses.
Giving the example of Ghangar village near valley of flowers and Gondar, Makku and Chopta villages in Rudraprayag, the Kedarnath MLA said that the forest department served notices of demolition to many villagers but when he personally intervened in the issue, the revenue records of the lands of the villagers were found. Alleging that the forest officials are unaware about the boundaries of the forest, the MLA said that they many times threaten the villagers.
The Kedarnath MLA also raised the issue of the forest dwellers residing in the forests from many generations. He said that such residents are found in all parts of the state and their rights are needed to be protected. He said that the forest department should seek cooperation of forest dwellers in conservation of forests. The MLA added that Uttarakhand took no benefit of the Scheduled Tribes and Forest dwellers act of 2007.
He also expressed concern that large chunks of the agriculture land in the state would be notified under deemed forests. In his response the forest minister Rawat said that no rightful owners would be disturbed by department.