Six forest officials suspended for letting tribals illegally cultivate over 1,000 acres of land in Jawadhu Hills
Six forest officials in Tiruvannamalai have been suspended for allegedly accepting bribes to allow illegal cultivation on protected forest land. The officials reportedly promised tribal farmers land title deeds in exchange for monthly payments.
Why it matters
Corruption within forest management undermines environmental conservation efforts and the legal rights of indigenous communities.
Six forest officials were suspended for allowing tribals to illegally extend cultivation to more than 1,000 acres of forest land atop Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai, and assuring tribal cultivators that they would be given title deeds for the extended cultivated areas in the hills under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006, also known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
The officials suspended are S. Prabhu, forest range officer, Eco-tourism range; K. Senguttuvan, forest range officer (Nadanoor); F. Arunagiri, forester (Nadanoor range); K. Subramani, forester (Nadanoor range); S. Muthu, forest guard, Jamunamarathoor range and R. Suresh, forest ranger, Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust on deputation.
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