Block Level Training Programme on Community Forest Rights in Keounjhar District

A Series of workshops on community forest rights (CFR) was organized in Harichadanpur, Banspal & Telkoi Block of Keounjhar district on 22nd, 23rd and 24th August 2013 respectively. The programme was organized by Natural Justice's local partner organization KIRDTI with co-operation from the district administration and Block officials. Sankar Pani of Natural Justice facilitated the workshop.

The workshops in Harichandanpurl and Telkoi Block were conducted at Block Headquarters and the Banspal workshop at Kuanar Panchayat office premises.

The Welfare Extension Officer (WEO) of Harichandanpur Block stated that approx 10,000 individual forest rights claims have been filed in the block while around 6,400 of those claims have been recognized and titles issued. He further stated that around 2,900 claims have been rejected at Gramsabha level. Approximately 99 villages have been covered in terms of distribution of title and few more villages are pending as of now.   He has sought help of the local NGO to identify villages and expedite the process of community rights recognition.

Similarly the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Telkoi Block declared that approximately 3,360 individual titles have been distributed while 4 community claims are under process for recognition.

In Banspal Block the Special Officer of Juang Development Agency (JDA) has requested villagers to co-operate in implementation of CFR rights in their respective villages and has prioritized the implementation at 35 micro project villages in the first wave.

Further, a target has been set by the Block officials to identify at least 10 villages every month with help from local organizations and to then expedite CFR processes at these villages.

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