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ISSUES ON LANDLESSNESS
Most of the people who are having the
problem of land settlement in the forest areas are the
tribals who are undoubtedly the poorest among all the
communities in Western Orissa. Apart from the situation of
land settlement they have been under serious problem in all
the fields like education, health, nutrition, and sanitation
etc. Even though there are many Government programmes not
much have been happening in the remote tribal belts. To
address to the problems of the tribals SVA has put much more
efforts for an Integrated and holistic development approach.
Now that every where (Orissa and
adjoining states) the emphasis has been given for rapid
industrialization and mining activities and Government, the
Bureaucracy and every one is after this so called modern
development paradigm. It seems in this process the
downtrodden and the ordinary people like the tribals are
getting more and more marginalized. Looking at all these
developments SVA is making a serious introspection of past
activities to make its works more effective and more
oriented towards the most marginalized people.
During
the year 2006-07 SVA organized 11 numbers of awareness camps
on various schemes and provisions of the government
available for landless and forest dwellers. A total of 753
members participated in various awareness workshops.
Similarly 5 numbers of training programmes organized for
volunteers of Jangal Bachao Abhiyan and participated by 153
persons. Total of 5 numbers of workshop, consultation meet
and media conferences organized to mobilize support from
officials, politicians and journalists those have been key
to raise the issue at upper level .
Previously SVA and its
member organisations
identified 6034 persons from 1787
villages having problem in settlement of land and
accordingly they had submitted their applications to
Government. During October 2006 to February 2007, 460
additional applications have been sent and now the total
applications number has come to 6494. After the new act for
recognition of forest dweller’s right that has been passed
in the Parliament, the land settlement process should have
already started but either because of lack of pressure from
political parties in opposition and the affected people or
lack of political will the process is not moving as
expected. To get this act passed in the Parliament
volunteers associated with the campaign participated in
various activities at State and National level.
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