Madikeri: A forest rights cell has been set up in Kodagu to facilitate govt schemes and provisions for the tribal population. Operating under the integrated tribal development planning department (ITDP), this new establishment will also handle Forest Rights Act matters.ITDP project coordinator S Honnegowda said the cell has been established at the Zilla Panchayat office in Madikeri, along with similar units in other districts. He said the cell, functioning under the Union ministry of tribal affairs and scheduled caste welfare department, aims to deliver govt schemes to land rights beneficiaries under the Forest Rights Act. The cell will also create digital records of collected information.The establishment will undertake a fresh assessment of previously rejected tribal applications under the Forest Rights Act. Honnegowda indicated that the Forest Rights Cell stands ready to provide necessary support to eligible forest dwellers through this re-examination.The ITDP received 4,277 applications in the district this year under the Forest Rights Act. Of these, 2,430 received approval whilst 1,847 faced rejection. The forest cell will review the rejected applications as land rights are distributed to approved beneficiaries. The district has currently allocated 31,967.8 acres to eligible individuals for personal use and forest resource collection under the act, he stated.
