Officials Writing to Telangana Government on ROFR Land Issues

 Adilabad: District officials will write a joint letter to the state government seeking resolution of policy issues concerning development of ROFR patta lands and digging of borewells in forest areas.

This was stated here on Friday by collector Rajarshi Shah, ITDA project officer Manda Makarandu and forest officials.

The Central government is conducting a social audit as a pilot project among beneficiaries of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, in Utnoor mandal to assess its implementation and understand how tribals are benefiting from Recognition of Forest Rights (ROFR) pattas issued for lands they cultivate.

The Dongachintha and Bheersaipet gram panchayats were selected for the social audit and public hearing. The audit was conducted in villages from August 2 to 9, followed by a public hearing on August 11.

Adivasi farmers who received ROFR pattas said they were facing difficulties in cultivating podu lands. Some beneficiaries also raised issues relating to transfer of pattas to legal heirs after the death of patta holders.

Kumra Shyam Rao of Kummari Kunta village in Dongachintha said he was facing difficulties in transferring the ROFR patta issued in the name of his deceased wife, Kumra Bheem Bai, to his name.

At the public hearing, some ROFR patta holders also sought clarification on the delay in recognising community rights and community forest resource rights in the core area of the tiger reserve. They raised issues concerning access to welfare schemes such as housing and electricity and basic improvements to their lands.

Makarandu said the sub-divisional level committee was studying the Community Forest Rights process in Maharashtra to initiate the recognition and implementation of community forest rights and community forest resource rights.

He said community forest rights had not yet been issued under the Forest Rights Act.

Officials said the process of transferring ROFR patta lands to family members had been initiated. Fertilisers and seeds were also being provided to farmers cultivating podu land, irrespective of whether they had pattas.

District officials said they were coordinating with forest officials to obtain permission for installing solar panels for pump sets used for agricultural wells in forest areas.

The gram sabhas and social audits were conducted as part of an agreement between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies to frame draft guidelines for social audits of the Forest Rights Act across the country.

Makarandu said the social audit was intended to independently assess the implementation of the Forest Rights Act at the field level. Collector Rajarshi Shah said steps would be taken to extend government welfare schemes fully to ROFR patta holders and resolve their problems.