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The
control over forest by British began in 1855. It restricted tribal
right over forest. It was followed by Forest Act 1865. It declared
any land covered with trees as forest and made rules to manage the
same. This Act was repealed by Indian Forest Act 1878. It divided
forest into –reserve, protected and village forests. Several
restrictions were put in these categories.
Indian Forest Act 1884 emphasized the
need to exploit forest to increase state revenue. It paved the way
for regulation of rights and privileges of forest dwellers over
forest land and produce. The same policy continued even after the
independence when National Forest Policy was made in 1952. Little
did it help to satisfy the needs for poor and forest dwellers. No
development of tribal took place till ‘annual plan’ was drawn during
the 5th –five-year plan and tribal sub-plan in 6th five year plan in
1966-67. However their expectations were never fulfilled.
Ministry of environment and forestry was constituted in 1985. See
http://envfor.nic.in.
National Forest Policy 1988 is
the latest guidelines for forest management and conservation. See:
http://envfor.nic.in/nfap/detailed-policy.html |
