Subverting MGNREGA, Odisha govt imposes commercial plantation on land allocated under Forest Rights Act

Kandhamal's Katitara village women collecting mahua

By Sanghamitra Dubey*
Sukanti Kanhar, president of a women's cooperative in Katitara village of Kandhamal, sounds nostalgic. She says, “When I came in this village after my marriage I used to go to forest with my mother-in-law to do cultivation in the uplands which used to grow 68 types of crops providing food sufficiency throughout the year.”
Over a period of time the upland cultivation (Podu) has been forcibly stopped by the forest department as being destructive to forests, forcing Sukanti Kanhar and her community to seek wage labour. The uplands used for Podu have been converted into plantation of teak and eucalyptus by the forest department, destroying an entire food habitat of the Kondh community.
In another tribal village, Madikhol, where the tribals have got titles on five acres of land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, hybrid mangoes have been planted by cutting down mahua trees, which traditionally have been an important source of income for the tribals.
These plantations on cultivation lands of tribals have been carried out by the forest department, using funds from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which, like FRA, is meant to be an emancipatory legislation.
As per the green India mission guidelines, 15% of MGNREGA fund is made available to the forest department for afforestation programmes.
In Paikpada village of Kandhamal, teak and acasia trees are being planted on lands of Kutia Kondhs, which is what is termed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). This group has claimed land under FRA.
Villagers complain, the forest department has even hired outside labourers from far off places like Koraput to do plantation work, as Kutia Kondhs have opposed plantation on their land.
Regrettably, the Odisha government is implementing a host of programmes and special plans for the development of tribals and PVTGs, such as the conservation-cum-development plan OPELIP (Odisha PVTG Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme).
Contrary to the core objective, massive monoculture and commercial plantations (teak, eucalyptus, rubber, coffee etc.) are taking place, destroying the food habitat and local ecology.
The PVTG community of Keonjhar (Juang), Kandhamal (Kutia Kondh), Sudergarh (Paudi Bhuyan), all are facing a similar repression of plantation.
The threat of forcible plantation has been intensified after the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPA), 2016, was passed by Parliament. Under the Act, the Government of India has released a whopping Rs 42,000 crore to forest departments across the country for carrying out afforestation and plantation programmes without having any safeguard to protect land and forest rights of tribals/local communities and without any provision for getting consent of the gram sabhas.
All this is happening in 2016, which marks the 10th anniversary of both FRA and MGNREGA. Both FRA and MGNREGA are meant to advance the cause of the most marginalized sections of Indian society. However, the stark reality is that the revolutionary intent of such legislations is being subverted by the powerful forest bureaucracy on ground to cause distress and misery of the same people.
This calls for a sincere effort by citizens’ collectives to persuade the government to reinforce the core commitment of the laws and to check subversion of laws by bureaucracy.
---
*With Vasundhara, a research and policy advocacy group that works on environment conservation and sustainable livelihood

Comments

SADHAN MUKHERJEE said…

The author's views are correct. In the name of modernisation and re-plantation, forest lands are being made out of bounds of poor and marginalised tribals.

November 25, 2016

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

Search This Blog