MARGAO: Gawada, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED) at the meeting held on Sunday resolved to challenge the decision of South Goa Collector for rejecting the individual claims on technical grounds without any justification, and to file a legal case in the matter.
In the meeting held at Margao, GAKUVED also decided to fill an intervention application in the on-going Supreme Court matter on behalf of the traditional forest dwellers of Goa State.
As informed by Ravindra Velip, Vice-President GAKUVED, the federation will assist the villagers to convene Gram Sabha to receive fresh claims of left out forest dwellers who had filed it till today due to lack of clarity on act.
“We have resolved to prepare and file community forest resource claims of all the forest dwelling Goan villages. Besides, the federation will assist villagers in filling community forest rights claims in two villages of each following four talukas, which include Quepem, Sanguem, Canacona and Dharbandora,” said Veilp.
Nearly 200 people attended the meeting and during which all FRC committee members raised anger that why ten thousand plus individual claims are filed by the scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, besides hundreds of other community claims are pending since 2012.
It was also brought to the notice during the meeting that the authorities are misinterpreting the act and rules made there under, and purposely keeping the files on hold and rejecting them citing no reason.
“Even questions were raised as to how a Collector can reject any claim on technical grounds when all powers regarding the same are given to Gram sabha under the act. As of today, the government has not even settled 10 per cent of the total claims filed for which the District Collector and the tribal welfare department are solely responsible,” said GAKUVED President.
Subhodh Kulkarni, Community forest rights expert, Maharashtra, and other experts guided the participants.
