Bhopal, May 26: Tribal Welfare and Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah has directed that implementation Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition to Forest Rights) Act 2006 and Rule 2008 should be undertaken as a model in one Gram Panchayat of every district in the state. This task should be completed by June.

Kunwar Shah issued this instruction at a meeting of advisory committee of Tribal Welfare Department at Mantralaya here today. Implementation on this Act was specially discussed at the meeting. Those present at the meeting included member of the committee and MLA Devi Singh Patel, Principal Secretary Tribal Welfare OP Rawat, Director Triabl Welfare Regional Schemes Ms Rashmi Arun Shami and other officers.

Kunwar Shah exhorted the officers to take active part in the implementation of Forest Rights Act and it should be taken as a top priority. The Tribal Welfare Minister stressed the need for intensive publicity of provisions of the Act and get it implemented at the earliest. He instructed for installing hoardings at every Gram Panchayat for publicising salient features of the Act. Kunwar Shah said that media workshops should be organised in every district for wide publicity of Forest Rights Act.

The Tribal Welfare Minister said that in the context of objectives of this Act, it is the duty of officers of every concerning department injustice is not meted out to any eligible person. He underlined the need to make scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers aware about their rights for effective implementation of Forest Rights Act.

Member of the committee Devi Singh Patel put up his suggestions about implementation of Forest Rights Act. He said that effective and wide publicity should be undertaken so that information and details of the Act should reach the people living in forests.

Principal Secretary OP Rawat dwelt in detail about implementation of Forest Rights Act. He informed that a review meeting in connection with implementation of the Act was organised in February and May at New Delhi by the Union government. Madhya Pradesh was praised at this meeting in connection with implementation of the Act. Almost all the states have urged Madhya Pradesh to give information about the survey conducted by it.

Through a presentation, Director TADP Rashmi Arun Shami informed the meeting about action taken for implementation of Forest Rights Act and the future plans in this connection.

Those present at the meeting included Additional Secretary Tribal Welfare Department Akhilesh Argal and Additional Commissioner Tribal Welfare JS Netam.