Imphal, March 05: The 1996 Supreme Court's interim order and the implementation of the Joint Forest Management in a massive manner in the North East was deliberated at length during the two day State level consultation on Tribals' lands, forests and natural resources.

The consultation programme was jointly organised by the All Tribal Lawyers Association, Manipur and the Naga Peoples' Movement for Human Rights on February 28 and 29.During the consultation, it was observed that following the Interim Order of the Supreme Court of 1996, the State Forest Department has surreptitiously claimed that State forest constitutes 78 percent in Manipur, a quantum jump from 9 percent, stated a joint press release issued by the All Tribal Lawyers Association, Manipur and the Naga Peoples' Movement for Human Rights.

Subsequent upon the State Government's claim over community forest, the Forest Department has claimed crores of rupees from the BRTF for trees that are felled for construction of roads in hills.

The Department has been levying tax on various products on items such as stones and sands.

Furthermore, the Forest Department has been declaring Reserved Forest arbitrarily in community governed forests, specially in Tamenglong and Churachandpur districts.

After a thorough deliberation, the consultation meet resolved to approach the Supreme Court for modification of the Supreme Court interim order of 1996.It also resolved that the Joint Forest Management Programme should be immediately withdrawn and the Forest Department should halt activities that are unconstitutional.

Another resolution of the consultation was that the Hill Area Committee and the legislators should take up immediate steps to implement and safeguard the land and forest rights of the tribal peoples of Manipur, conveyed the release.

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