Taungya forest villages get titles in two districts in UP under FRA

Lucknow: UP has become the first state to grant titles of Taungya forest villages in three districts of Gonda, Gorakhpur and Mahrajganj and in two forest villages of two districts in Lakhimpur Kheri and Bharaich. Forest minister Fateh Bahadur Singh distributed land titles to 651 families in six villages in a historic moment.

147 titles were distributed in Bharivaisee village of Maharajganj district and 504 titles were distributed in five forest villages of Gorakhpur district with the following break up, Tilkunia (212), Rajeji Camp (85), Rajehi Khale (47), Aambagh (101) and Chillwa (59). The Taungya families got land titles under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. This could be achieved after a long struggle by NFFPFW and is a huge achievement of people’s movement.

Special instructions were given from State Level Monitoring committee on forest villages including taungiya forest villages should be given titles and converted into revenue villages. Though one of the forest villages, Surma, a tribal village has been converted into revenue village, the process of conversion of taungya villages will start soon after these titles have been granted.
Under the FRA, tribals and forest dwellers traditionally dependent on the forests for their survival for the last 75 years are entitled for individual and community ownership of forest land. The Taungya community has been working as bonded labourers for the forest department since 1925. The problem with Taungya people was that they were shifted every five years by the forest department from one place to another to regenerate forests by planting trees, hence it was difficult for them to prove 75 years residential status.

The UP example should be followed in other states as well that have a very large number of taungiya and other forest villages such as in Assam and North Bengal.