Raising serious objections to the proposed implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) in the hill state, the Himachal Forest Regeneration Mission (HIFORM) — an apex organization formed to take up issues related to environment protection and conservation of eco-system — on Sunday warned that it could legitimize forest encroachments and disrupt ecological balance.
Condemning the recent move by Tribal Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi, HIFORM accused him of misinterpreting the Act’s provisions, especially concerning land rights for Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs). “There is no clause in the FRA that allows apple orchards on forest land to be regularized under OTFD provisions,†said Dr Vijay Singh Thakur, former VC of Nauni University.
The organization warned that implementing FRA in its present form would clash with several Supreme Court and High Court rulings mandating eviction of illegal occupants from forest land. “There are over 19 lakh FRA-related cases pending in the Supreme Court,†said a HIFORM spokesperson, cautioning against hasty decisions driven by political motives.
Veteran environmentalist Kulbhushan Upmanyu stressed that only landless claimants with at least 75 years of occupation before 2005 should be eligible under FRA. “This policy risks promoting land grabbing and commercial exploitation under the pretext of traditional rights,†he added.
Highlighting that over 66 percent of Himachal is under forest cover, HIFORM called for an ecological impact assessment and a balanced approach that protects both environment and genuine community needs. The group emphasized empowering locals through forest produce rights and sustainable management rather than encouraging encroachment.
