A high-powered state committee’s recommendations may help tribals of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur realise their dream of self-rule, assured by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.Once implemented, the tribals will get back their nistar (utilisation) rights over forests which will be a big step towards self-rule. The recommendations were announced by committee chairman J.S. Saharia at a press conference here on Wednesday. They have been forwarded to the government.Sources said if implemented in the two districts, the state would have to extend it to similar areas. ‘‘It is the first time in the country that such recommendations have been forwarded for implementation. These have been clearly delineated in the Forest Act of 1927, Forest Policy of 1988, and the 73rd Amendment of 1994,’’ said Mohan Hirabai Hiralal, a panel member who manages Vriksha Mitra, a Chandrapur NGO.‘‘Nistar rights now exist only in Madhya Pradesh, under the Land Revenue Code, but tribals can’t actually enjoy them,’’ he said. Nistar is different from joint forest management (JFM) because unlike JFM, it has a legal standing.The state committee was set up by an interim High Court order on a petition filed by Mul-Sawli BJP MLA Shobhatai Fadnavis in a Gadchiroli tree-felling case. It has suggested nistar as one way to curb illegal tree-felling. Another is declaring villages with over 33 per cent forest area as ‘‘village forests’’.These villages will manage and protect nearby forests and own bamboo, tendu and apta, apart from the listed 33 minor forest produce, and enjoy tax waivers on all. Villages with less forest cover too can volunteer if these are within an 8-km radius from forests.
