Chhattisgarh goverment to carry out land survey of Abujmad forest

The survey will benefit a population of at least 50,000, mainly tribals, residing in around 230 villages of Abujhmad to get patta (title deed) for the land they were possessing.

The Chhattisgarh government has decided to carry out land survey of villages of Abujmad jungles to provide land entitlement to tribals in Narayanpur district.

The Chhattisgarh government has decided to carry out land survey of villages of Abujmad jungles. (HT Photo)

Abujhmad, straddled between Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, is known as ‘unknown hill’ as the 6,000 sq km of thick forest has not been surveyed since the British era. Narayanpur district administration tried to conduct a survey in 2017 but the plan was aborted after improvised explosive device (IED) blasts. The jungle is epicentre of Maoist activities and about a dozen of central committee members of CPI (Maoist) are said to be still camping there.

A meeting of the Chhattisgarh cabinet was held on Tuesday night in which the decision in this regard was taken.

The survey will benefit a population of at least 50,000, mainly tribals, residing in around 230 villages of Abujhmad to get patta (title deed) for the land they were possessing.

“The Chhattisgarh government will provide land ownership to the tribals which will help them to get their lands recorded in government documents. About 10,000 tribals of Abujhmad will be getting ownership of land,” Taran Prakash Sinha, director of public relations, Chhattisgarh government.

As per a senior forest official of Chhattisgarh, this unsurveyed region has around 40 village panchayats. Of these 207 villages are populated while 30 others are now deserted.

The Chhattisgarh cabinet decided to provide 10% reservation for the economically weaker section (EWS) of general category in jobs and education. The cabinet also proposed an amendment in Chhattisgarh Public Service (Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class reservation) Act amendment ordinance, which will include the increase in reservation for OBCs to 27 per cent from the existing 14 per cent while that for the SCs to 13 per cent from 12 per cent.

“The cabinet has given its nod to set up Lemru Elephant Reserve which will include Hansdeo Arand forest, which has around 21 coal blocks,” said a senior official of Chief Minister’s office.

The Lemru elephant reserve will be set up on an area of around 2000 sq km and will include parts of Korba, Kathghora, Surguja and Dharamjaigarh forest divisions.