The status of forest rights and self-governance among the tribes in the protected areas

Forest officials argue that as they are responsible for protecting the forest land, the forest department need no get any prior approval from the Gram Sabha of any tribal Panchayat in and around the protected forests for the acquisition of land. The forest department officials give the permission if the ITDA officials want to conduct Gram Sabhas in the tribal hamlets of the core area. The vested interests of the political leaders, the pressures from the businesspeople, the attitude of the forest department, the inactiveness of the ITDA and PR/RD departments are the main reasons for the failure of the implementation of PESA Act 1996 in the selected villages of the scheduled area during 1991-2011. The tribal families led the movements against the attitude of the forest officials and negligence of the ITDA officials. The Chenchu people as honest, the forest department officials use educated young Chenchus as informers to find and trace the encroachers, hunters and smugglers of timber.