International Forest Fair: Chhattisgarh Small Forest Produce Association First Prize in the Interstate Category | Chhattisgarh | 27 Dec 2022

Why In News?

Chhattisgarh State Small Forest Produce Association won the first prize in the inter-state category in the International Forest Fair held in Bhopal on December 26, 2022.

Key Points

• Forest Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kunwar Vijay Shah gave the first prize to Chhattisgarh Small Forest Produce Association for outstanding performance in display and sale of stalls in inter-state category.
• Significantly, the International Forest Fair was organized in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, from December 20 to 26.
• Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Special Managing Director S.S. Bajaj said that in the International Forest Fair, a stall was set up by the State Minor Forest Produce for display-cum-sale of more than 140 products.
• He said that the state of Chhattisgarh has received very good response in this International Forest Fair. Many business establishments have shown interest in purchasing Chhattisgarh's minor forest produce. Eight merchant organizations discussed and agreed to buy 200 tonnes of Kodo, Kutki, Ragi, Harra, Nagarmotha, Baheda, Kachariya Charota seeds, Giloy and other minor forest produce.
• A commercial agreement worth Rs 6 crore was signed between the Chhattisgarh Minor Forest Produce Association and the Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest Produce Association in the International Forest Fair based on the buyer-seller conference.
• The MoU was signed by Dr. Dilip Kumar, CEO, MPMFP on behalf of Chhattisgarh Forest Produce Association Special Managing Director SS Bajaj and Vindh Herbals.
• Apart from this, business agreements worth Rs 28 crore 50 lakh were also signed between MFPPARC and various institutions. In this way a total MoU of Rs 34.50 crore was signed.
• An MoU was signed for Mahua export from Bastar Food Chhattisgarh in the Minor Forest Produce based buyer-seller conference. This will prove to be helpful in the economic prosperity of the primary collectors and producers involved in the field of herbs in the coming times.
• Buyer-Seller Conference Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Forest Force Chief of Madhya Pradesh H.R. Khare's main hospitality. In this, 140 participants from different parts of the state and the country interacted directly and 300 participants through video conference.
• Special Managing Director of Chhattisgarh Small Forest Produce Association S.S. Bajaj informed that the Government of Chhattisgarh is doing research on making jaggery from Mahua in collaboration with the Central Food Technological Institute, Mysore.

Chhattisgarh Leading in the Implementation of Forest Rights Act in the Country | Chhattisgarh | 27 Dec 2022

Why In News?

According to information received from the Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on December 26, 2022, Chhattisgarh state is the leading state in the implementation of the Forest Rights Act in the country.

Key Points

• According to the information, 54 thousand 518 individual forest rights letters were distributed in the state in the last four years, the total area of which is 30 thousand 46 hectares. Similarly, 23 thousand 982 forest rights letters of community forest rights have been distributed, whose total area is 11 lakh 77 thousand 212 hectares.
• Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to be recognized as forest rights in urban areas in the country. So far, 266 individual forest rights cards, 7 community forest rights and 4 community forest resources rights have been distributed in urban areas of the state.
• Initiatives have also been taken by the state government in the implementation of community forest resource rights. So far, 3,845 community forest resources rights have been recognized in the districts. Under this, the right to protect and manage 16 lakh 60 thousand 301 hectares of land has been given to the Gram Sabhas.
• Continuous efforts are being made by the State Government to recognize the various forest rights of the local forest dwelling communities, so that they can get various types of forest rights mentioned in the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• According to the Act, December 13, 2005 is the cut-off date for claiming possession of forest land by scheduled caste and other traditional forest dweller applicants. In case of other traditional forest dweller applicants, the cut-off date is already required to be residing in the village, forest land belonging to three generations (75 years).
• With the initiative of the state government, community forest resource rights are being recognized to the respective Gram Sabhas for the local forest resident communities. Various forest rights certificates are being distributed in urban areas of the state.
• On the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, action is being taken to reconsider the claims of forest rights rejected for various reasons in the state. Action is being taken from time to time to correct the record of land distributed under the Forest Rights Act.
• Work is being done to develop forest rights beneficiaries as post claim support as well as benefit them through various livelihood measures such as cocoons, Taser crops, lac production etc.
• In Chhattisgarh, the process of providing habitat rights to especially vulnerable tribes has been started in Dhamtari district. The validation of community forest resources rights began from Jabra village in Dhamtari district. Gram Sabha Jabra was recognized as having community forest resources rights over 5352 hectares of forest land, which is the highest area recognized by a single village in the country. Similarly, community forest resources rights have been recognized on 1861 hectares of forest land in Khair Kheda village of Kanker district.
• Various activities are being done under Community Forest Resources, better implementation of management under Forest Rights Act. Along with the management of the forest, the work of native goat rearing, poultry, rabbit rearing, pig rearing, pisciculture etc. is being done by making bamboo sheds and scaffolding. Along with this, the kharif crops are being sown by intercropping after treating the organic seeds, turmeric seeds and a seed bank has also been established. After this, special emphasis is being laid on conservation and management of forest resources.
• Special efforts are being made to give forest rights to the beneficiaries of forest rights for the use of fish and other products of reservoirs, pastures for livelihood. Due to the convergence of government schemes, individual forest rights holders are being provided post-claim assistance such as land leveling, bund-bonding, manure-seeds, irrigation equipment-related assistance. Along with this, they are also being benefited from Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) and Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.

Governor Honored Brave Boys and Girls on the Occasion of Veer Bal Diwas | Chhattisgarh | 27 Dec 2022

Why In News?

On December 26, 2022, the Governor of Chhattisgarh Anusuiya Uikey honored the brave boys and girls of the state in a program organized at Raj Bhavan on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that under the aegis of Chhattisgarh Civil Society, the Veer Bal Diwas program was organized at Raj Bhavan. During this, the Governor talked about providing financial assistance to the honored four brave boys and girls from the voluntary grant item.
• The courageous deeds done by the four children who were honored at the Raj Bhavan on Veer Bal Diwas are very inspiring. These four children include Unnati Sharma, 12, from Tikrapara in Raipur district, Durgesh Sonkar, 11, from Durg district, Sitaram Yadav from Khamaria area in Bemetara district and Jambavati Bhuarya from Bhanupratappur in Kanker district.
• It is noteworthy that Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru Govind Singh Ji, made their supreme sacrifice at the age of 9 and 6 respectively on 26th December to protect the pride of Sikhism. Guru Gobind Singh's sons Jujhar Singh and Ajit Singh also gave their martyrdom in the defense of religion.
• Chhattisgarh Civil Society has continuously communicated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government regarding the celebration of the martyrdom day of Guru Gobind Singh's Sahibzada's as Veer Bal Diwas. As a result, it was announced to celebrate Veer Children's Day as a mark of respect to the Sikh community.