The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to submit Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on the alleged human misery due to displacement of 65,000 villagers of 591 villages in Odisha and other States.

The top rights panel, which had earlier taken cognisance of a petition filed by human rights lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, issued reminders to the authorities concerned to comply with ATRs latest by 19th February, 2025.

Advertisement

The petitioner has drawn attention of the Commission towards plight of the villagers especially living in the core areas of National Tiger Reserves and sought for Commission’s intervention to ensure rehabilitation and resettlement of the residents of 591 villages comprising 64,801 families in notified areas under core areas of the Tiger Reserves with NTCA proposing their relocation through an order dated 19 June 2024.

These families are being forcefully displaced and are subjected to forced relocation, without proper consultation or compensation, and without following the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act 2006, Forest Rights Act, 2006 and Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the petition pointed out.

Prior to relocations from the critical tiger habitat of tigers, the Government ought to furnish details of resettlement and rehabilitation process implemented till date in accordance with Forest Rights Act.

The petitioner, who espoused the cause of displaced people in Satkosia Tiger reserve in Angul district of Odisha, alleged that “for more than a decade, the people have been agitating for proper rehabilitation and resettlement. Earlier, due to lack of funds from the NTCA, the rehabilitation was delayed”.

The petition sought for the safeguard of the recognition and vesting of forest rights of forest dependent schedule tribes and other traditional forest dependent communities in all villages in the areas notified as tiger reserve and other protected areas, in villages falling within both the critical tiger habitat and buffer areas.