Bhubaneswar: In a historic move, the Odisha government on Friday awarded Habitat Rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) to 32 villages of Paudi Bhuyan community in Deogarh district of the state, marking a significant milestone under the Mo Jungle Jami Yojana (MJJM). Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena handed over the Habitat Rights titles to the community leaders at the Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
It is worth mentioning here that the Paudi Bhuyan, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PTVG), is the first indigenous community from Odisha to receive the Habitat Rights. It is the fourth such title awarded in India under the category after the Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh and Kamar PVTG and Baiga PVTG in Chhattisgarh had legal title and rights over their forest habitats.
During the entire claim filing process, technical support was extended by Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) under the Odisha ST&SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.
Hailing the move, Commissioner-cum-Secretary ST&SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, Roopa Roshan Sahoo, said “This is a proud moment for all of us as the first PVTG community from Odisha, Paudi Bhuyans from Deogarh, have been awarded Habitat Rights under the FRA.”
Terming it a “significant milestone” Indramani Tripathy, Director SCSTRTI and Director ST, at the Department, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to announce that the relentless efforts of the state programme management team along with the unwavering support of the facilitating NGOs have culminated in this official recognition.”
Chendali Pradhan (60), priest of the community Goddess Rambha Devi of Paudi Bhuyan community from Pacheripani village, after receiving the title document, said, “Now we will be collecting the minor forest produce (MFP) from the forests and selling it to the SHGs and government agencies under Laghu Bana Jatiya Drabya Kraya (LABHA) Scheme to ensure minimum support price.”
Tela Pradhan (29), president of the forest rights committee (FRC) of Saranaput village, is hopeful that it would help the community members of the 32 villages to have a better livelihood. Tikeswar Nayak (55) from Gurusang village expressed hope that the Habitat Rights would also pave the way to the development of the religious sites across the 32 villages of the Paudi Bhuyan community in Deogarh district.
There are 75 Centrally-recognised PVTGs in India. This special category from among the Scheduled Tribes was conceptualised during the 4th Five Year Plan based on the report of the Dhebar Commission (1960-61). They were included based on the recommendations of Tribal Research Institutes of the respective states. Odisha houses 13 PVTGs, the highest among all the states.
While, on September 15, 2021, the Paudi Bhuyan community filed the Habitat Rights Claim through the Bamunda Anchalika Paudi Bhuyan Samaj under Barkote tahsil, on March 7, 2024, a meeting was convened by the sub-divisional level committee (SDLC) and district-level committee (DLC) in Deogarh, marking a significant milestone. Here, the Habitat Rights claim of the Paudi Bhuyan PVTG community underwent a thorough review and received approval. The process also approved cultural and religious rights over the Maa Rambhaba Devi Sacred Grove.
This achievement not only acknowledges the rights of the Paudi Bhuyan PVTG community but also underscores the Odisha government’s commitment to preserving indigenous cultures and empowering tribal communities and PVTGs in particular.
Expressing happiness, Deogarh District Collector Somesh Upadhyay said, “The Habitat Rights to Paudi Bhuyan community will ensure the protection of their territorial habitat, generational knowledge, cultural identity and livelihood. While many flagship schemes are being converged for their harmonious development in the area, the Habitat Rights under the FRA will certainly help in recognising their distinct cultural heritage and traditions.”
Divisional Forest Officer, Deogarh, Magar Dhanaji Raoso, added “Tribal communities often possess unique knowledge about their local ecosystems, flora, fauna and sustainable resource management. Recognising their rights allows them for the preservation of local biodiversity and sustainable management of natural resources.”
FRA expert and team leader from Vasundhara Arabinda Rout summed up, “This unique achievement is recognition to the socio-economic-cultural identity of Paudi Bhuyans as for generations they were having no recognition either for their territory or the deities and nature to whom they usually worship.”
Other FRA Milestones In Odisha
Meanwhile, the ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department has received 6,33,631 Individual Forest Rights claim forms out of which titles have been distributed to 4,59,974 claimants over 6,71,639 acres of land. Community Right titles have been distributed to 7,838 Forest-dependent communities. Support under different social security and livelihood security schemes has been extended to 356,859 title holders. Record corrections have been done for 355,014 titles issued to forest-dwelling families. A total of 57 villages were converted to revenue villages under the FRA in the state.
