According to sources, NTCA was positive about raising the compensation paid to tribals
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is looking into revision of monetary compensation paid to tribals for voluntary relocation from tiger habitats and has referred the matter to an expert committee, the NTCA informed the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in a meeting on Tuesday. After visiting relocated and rehabilitated tribals, the expert committee is expected to submit its report by the end of January and the matter will then be finalised by NTCA, sources said.
The NCST is currently examining two issues related to the NTCA — one about NTCA's directive from March 2017 that asked states to freeze settlement of tribal rights inside tiger reserves; second regarding raising compensation package paid to tribals from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. NCST chairperson Nand Kumar Sai had called a meeting to discuss these issues.
During the meeting, NTCA officials said that the matter of compensation had already been referred to a committee headed by BK Patnaik, former Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and comprising scientists from Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Forest Management and senior forest officials from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The NTCA officials, Member Secretary Debabrata Swain and Deputy Inspector General of Forest Nishant Verma, also made a presentation on the status of voluntary relocation and rehabilitation of tribals across different tiger reserves, sources added. Swain could not be reached for comment.
According to sources, NTCA was positive about raising the compensation paid to tribals. The NCST officials also said they had received representations from Madhya Pradesh that indicated the forest department was not executing relocation and rehabilitation along with tribal welfare departments.
Further, Sai was of the view that land must form a core element of compensation packages as in several cases it was seen that cash compensation did not lead to sustainable rehabilitation for life outside forests. Sai raised the issue of land compensation after it was reported in the meeting that in Satpura tiger reserve, 76 per cent of tribals who moved out opted for cash compensation. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Inspector General (Wildlife), SP Vashishth.
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