Case against tribals for attacking offices in Dudhwa reserve

PTI | 02:01 PM,Jan 24,2012 Lakhimpur, Jan 24 (PTI) A case has been registered against more than 150 tribals in connection with attacking the office of Bankati range in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and damaging the houses and properties of the range staff. Those who have been named in the FIR include Ram Chandra Rana, head of tribal village Surma and member of state forest rights monitoring committee and one Rajneesh. In the FIR, it has been alleged that hundreds of Tharus tribals, including men and women living inside the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve stormed into the protected tiger reserve area in Bankati Range to collect fire-woods and other forest produce in the name of Forest Rights Act. When prevented by the DTR staff, they manhandled the authorities, sabotaged the Bankati forest range office and the residences of range staff and took away precious belongings from the staff houses. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has taken strong note of illegal encroachment into protected tiger areas by unauthorised mob of people and asked the government to check such incidents. Irked over the assault by the alleged enchroachers upon the Bankati range office and staff residences there, the Federation of Forest Association has sent a memorandum to the district authorities as well as state forest authorities to arrest the accused and those who provoked the Tharus in the name of Forest Rights Act. Field director, DTR Shailesh Prasad said, "the Bankati incident was the result of nefarious designs by some local influentials, who misguided the people of revenue villages about the Forest Rights Act". He said that a probe from all angles was on in the incident and appropriate action will be taken thereafter. PTI COR AVA PG PMS