The Madhya Pradesh BJP government has granted ‘Habitat Right’ to 21 Baiga tribal settlements and 12 of the Bhariya tribes in the state, paving the way for the tribals to gain rights on their land and forest produce.
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The Madhya Pradesh BJP government has granted ‘Habitat Right’ to 21 Baiga tribal settlements and 12 of the Bhariya tribes in the state, paving the way for the tribals to gain rights on their land and forest produce.
The state Tribal Welfare minister Vijay Shah said on Tuesday that the ‘habitat right’ has been granted to seven Baiga settlements in Dindori district and 14 in Mandla district of the state. Similarly, 12 Bhariya tribal villages in Chhindwara district have also been given the right to habitat.
The minister expressed hope that these ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’ (PVTG) would now be able to conserve their traditional practices and pass them on to their next generations too. They would also get the freedom to utilize their land, forest, water bodies, traditional medicinal plants and farming styles as per their age-old practices.
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Shah pointed out that earlier, such PVTGs neither had any right on their land nor any control on their forests and its produce. The minister asserted that the ‘habitat right’ would go a long way in conserving the age-old traditions, culture and practices of such tribal groups in the state.
The minister said that the habitat right is not only a legal guarantee but also a crucial step for conserving the identity and natural culture of these PVTGs.
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