Libertatem Magazine Issue 2 | Page 29

 the  forests  which  is  in  contravention  to  the  Forest  Rights  Act.   that  the  FRA  is  on  the  top  of  the  list  of  the  laws  and  scheme   “In   March,   last   year   the   Maharashtra   Village   Forest   Rules   that  are  considered  to  be  hindering  the  “development  agenda”   were   issued   by   the   forest  department  of   Maharashtra  which   of   the   NDA   government”.    The   job  for  undermining  the   Forest   sought   to   make   communities   declare   forests   under   their   Rights  Act  was  made  difficult  for  the  UPA  Government  due  to   jurisdictions   as   “village   forests”,   which   would   then   be   the  Supreme  Court’s  decision  in  the  Vedanta  Case  where  the   managed   by   communities   in   collaboration   with   the   forest   rights  of  the  tribe  of  Niyamgiris  were  given  more  importance   department.   The   management   committees   formed   to   look   than  the  mining  project  of  Vedanta.  The  latest  development   after  such  forests  would  have  a  forest  officer  as  the  secretary   is  that  the  Modi  led  government  has  moved  to  the  option  of   and   the   overall   authority   to   take   decisions   on   the   making  the  States  decide  the  fate  of  the  Forest  Rights  Act  and   management   of   such   forests   would   lie   with   the   forest   with   most   States   under   BJP  control   the   Act  seems   to   have  a   department”.   This   is   in   violation   of   the   community   rights   bleak  chance  to  be  favoured.    In  October  last  year  Ministry  of   provisions   mentioned   under   the   Forest   Rights   Act.   This   Environment  and  Forest  issued  a  circular  stating   that   the  Act   provision   gives   absolute   authority   to   the   gram   sabha   over   will   be  applicable  only   in  those  forests  which  are   more  than   forests  under   the  community’s  j