RAJSCC takes vow to protect Community Forest in Adivasi Samabesh

Jaleswar, (Baleswar), Oct 31: Raibania Anchalika Jungle Surakhya Coordination Committee (RAJSCC) organised one day Adivasi Samabesh at BholaSahi of village Baradiha on Friday protesting against illegal encroachment and destruction of community forest land by the forest department people hands in glove with the local Sarpanch.

Around 1500 community people of villages i.e., Kalama, Kankai and Baradiha of Baradiha G.P, Harinabandha and Bhadarapada village of Khuada G.P and Chhota Begunia, Kadhajudi and Dambarubari village of Syamanagar G.P etc. gathered and participated in the protest meeting.

Jagannath Mahanta, Secretary of the RAJSCC presided over the protest Samabesh. The veteran local leader and Ex-MLA ArunDey of Baleswar constituency joined the protest Samabesh as Chief Guest while Manohar Chauhan, member Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), Odisha joined as Chief Speaker on the occasion.

Budhanga Tudu, the president of the RAJSCC welcoming the guests and participants shared the objective of the protest meeting. He said that “while the forest is almost destroyed in the area, they have been protecting the small patch of forest in the Raibania area surrounded by Baradiha, Khuanda and Syamnagar GP from generations.

They have also formed Vana Sarankhyana Samittee (VSS) and RAJSCC–a federation of 10 to 12 villages forest protect committees. This Baradiha Forest has been a source of livelihood of the local tribals (mostly Santhal, Bhumija and Munda and other forest dwellers like Kamar and Mahanta community living around the forest. However, our community forest is under threat after Ajay Mohanty became the Sarpanch of the Baradiha Gram Panchayat in the last in 2011.”

Jagannath Mahanta raised serious concern over illegal encroachment of around 40 acres of (gramya jungle) forest land in Surehisahi hamlet of village Baradiha village by the present Sarapanch Ajay Mohanty of Baradiha G.P. He alleged that Ajay Mohanty said to have taken lease/occupied 3.23 acres of private land of Bajebndra Mohanty s/o Rajendra Mohanty having Khata No-1173/4 and plots Nos-4144,4136,4137 and 4138 in the village closer to the forest land plots of the village.

But he has illegally occupied around 40 acres of forest land (gramya jungle) i.e PlotNos-4142,4141,4140,4139,4135,4145,4146,4143 and 4129 from the Rakhit Khata No-1193 of the village Baradiha from last 2012 and have constructed a farm House. The Sarpanch Ajay Mohanty belongs to BJD political party and despite complaint he is continued to occupy the forest land. They have also complained against him before the district administration and even before the local MLA Aswini Patra (BJD), but since Ajay Mohanty belongs to BJD political party no action has been taken against him.”