Reported by
Legal Data by
Edited by
Updated by
Published on
October 7, 2019
October 7, 2019
Updated on
October 7, 2019
Gopkhaad
Latehar, Latu, Kujurum, Pandra, Gutwa, Bijaypur, Henar, Ramandag
Palamu
Protected Areas
Tiger Conservation
(
Tiger Reserve
)
Land Area Affected (in Hectares)
Starting Year
In May 2017, eight villages in the Palamu Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand received letters from the forest department proposing to relocate them outside the reserve for expansion of the core area to facilitate tiger breeding. As a result, the villages that were earlier part of the buffer zone of the reserve would now fall within the core area. To suggest that this was an urgent matter, the letter cited a Jharkhand high court order of February 2017, which concerned a public interest litigation on the decreasing tiger numbers in Palamu. Of the eight villages, Kujurum, Latu, Pandra, Gopakhar, Gutwa, Bijaypur and Henar are located in Garu block in Palamu district, and Ramandag village is located in Barwadih block in Latehar district. According to media reports, the families proposed to be relocated have been offered INR 15 lakh as compensation, which includes the cost of land for construction of a house and cost of construction as well. In August 2017, the residents of six villages in Garu block held a demonstration outside the office of the block development officer (BDO). They also wrote letters to the forest officer and the BDO, opposing the proposal to relocate them. They held more demonstrations in November and December where they opposed the move to expand the tiger reserve. According to media reports, Gopakhar village is home to the Nagesia tribe, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group. The tribe was displaced in the 1950s when a reservoir and a residential school were built in the Netarhat hills. Residents of all the eight villages depend on agriculture and forest produce for their livelihood. "Though the forest department says Kujurum and Latu residents want to move, we do not agree on this. We received news that Kujurum villagers refused to shift to Dubiyakhad between Daltonganj and Betla as the land there is rocky. There is a proposal to shift them to Mahuadanr block in Latehar, but there are already people living there," said Jerome Kujur in a media interview in December 2018. Kujur is the general secretary of Jan Sangharsh Samiti, a Jharkhandbased organisation fighting for people's livelihoods. There is allegedly immense pressure on two villages, Latu and Kujurum, to consent to the relocation, but the residents have refused. As of July 2021, forest officials had relocated two of the eight villages (Latu and Kujurum) which reportedly agreed for a compensation of INR 15 lakh in cash or five acres of land with basic amenities. The residents of Gopakhar village are divided on the compensation offered for the voluntary relocation.
Refusal to relocate out of buffer zone
Rural
Common
Forest
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
10.28
Type of investment:
Investment Expected
Year of Estimation
Page Number In Investment Document:
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
High Court of Jharkhand
Case Number
W.P. (PIL) No.1615 of 2013
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nature of Protest
Advocacy (for inclusion in courts)
Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)
Protests/marches
Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Forest Department, National Tiger Conservation Authority
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Image Credit:
Image Credit: