Bhubaneswar: Members of the Pauri Bhuiyan tribe in Deogarh district were given the title of housing rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 by Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena at the Lok Seva Bhawan here on Friday.
Pauri Bhuiyan, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PTVG), is the first indigenous community in the state to receive housing rights. Tribal community lives in 32 villages under Barkote block of Devgarh. This is the fourth such title to be awarded in the county under this category after Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh and Kamar and Baiga PVTG in Chhattisgarh.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of ST and SC Development, Minority and Backward Class Welfare Department, Rupa Roshan Sahu, said the step is an important milestone under the Mo Jangal Jami scheme. Receiving the title, Chendali Pradhan, priest of community deity Rambha Devi of Pacheripani village, said it would enable the tribe to collect minor forest produce from the forests and sell them to SHGs and government agencies under the LABHA scheme at minimum support price.
Apart from this, Housing Rights will also pave the way for development of religious places in 32 villages of Pauri Bhuiyan community of Deogarh district. Odisha has 13 PVTGs, the highest among all states.
On September 15, 2021, Pauri Bhuiyan community had filed a claim for housing rights through Bamunda zonal Pauri Bhuiyan Samaj under Barkote tehsil. Officials said that on March 7 this year, the housing rights claim of the Pauri Bhuiyan community was approved in a meeting in which cultural and religious rights over the Maa Rambha Devi sacred grove were also approved.
Meanwhile, department officials speaking on the occasion said that out of 6,33,631 individual forest rights applications received so far, titles on 6,71,639 acres of land have been distributed to 4,59,974 claimants. Community rights ownership has been distributed to 7,838 forest-dependent communities. Assistance under various social security and livelihood security schemes has been extended to 3,56,859 title holders.
