People in Niger have social rules about relations with the big cat It will be a major problem, if the lion vanishes

Flying in tigers to Sariska was not half as difficult as securing their future will be It was Sariska

KOLLAM: Based on the Forest Rights Act approved by the Union Government, forest rights committees will be set up in the district on August 3. A meeting chaired by District Collector A.Shajahan has taken a decision in this regard.

The Act envisages to provide rights on the dwelling places of those people, including Scheduled Tribes, in the forest land in which they had been living traditionally.

New Delhi, DHNS: Six months after the notification to the Forest Rights Act, Karnataka is yet to implement the Act, which will accord legal rights to forest dwellers on the piece of land, on which they have lived for generations. On Friday, Karnataka Social Welfare Minister D Sudhakar admitted in a review meeting that the Governor's rule and subsequent Assembly elections in the State had stalled implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (recognition of forest rights) Act, which was notified on January 1, 2008.

Jeevan Chinnappa This provides for constitution of forest rights committee, State-level committee Gram panchayats to convene gram sabhas to set up the committees In January, Manmohan told States to expedite it

The Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006, aimed at recognition and protection of rights of scheduled tribes and traditional forest dwellers, will, in all likelihood be misused, negating the very objectives of the Act itself. It could result in fresh occupation of lands by forest dwellers for cultivation, taking shelter under the provisions of the Act and also open the floodgates for occupation of forest lands by political parties championing the cause of scheduled tribes, and triggering the circulation of fake ST certificates.