In almost all the tribal-dominated districts, the conditions of those living in forests are almost identical, say social activists who have been working among the marginalised sections of society. One has to trek miles to reach these villages. Grant of CFR has helped them procure forest produces without hassles, process them and sell them to various government and agencies, including state government’s Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS). They can now irrigate their land with solar water pumps. The only Anganwadi centre has no government teacher. Erection of solar-lighting and solar-irrigation systems has brought about significant changes in their lives. In the 21st century, they still live like jungle men and women -- ignorant of another world that claims itself to be civilised and modern.With the help of China Rubber Wheel Chock Manufacturers development organisations, the area is coordinating with the district administration.19 crore population of Odisha, nearly 23 per cent (22.Simlipal(Odisha): Far from the civilised crowd, the Kolha tribals live in the inaccessible tiny villages inside Simlipal National Park in Odisha’s Mayurbjanj district.

It is managed by Centre for Youth and Social Development, a development organisation.Of the 4. Non-recognition of the human habitations as revenue villages prevents the education department to build schools and the health department to establish hospitals. This has enabled them to undertake cultivation.These tribals love, protect and preserve the forest as they believe they can only survive in the lap of woods. The narrow streams flowing down from the nearby hills shrink in the summer and get contaminated because of overdependence on them by human beings, domestic animals and wildlife."Besides roads, schools and hospitals, we also fight to get drinking water. As a result, some villagers have got Individual Forest Rights (IFR) and Community Forest Rights (CFR).Today, the villagers are living a little better life as Oxfam, an international development organisation, in association with Regional Center for Development Cooperation, a Bhubaneswar-based non-governmental organisation, is intervening in those villages."Since we have no government mandi or procurement centre here, we are forced to sell our paddy between `1,100 and `1,200 per quintal as against `1,750 minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Union government," says Jagabandhu Ho of Bhaliadal. Last year, we lost two children and a pregnant woman died this year as we could not take them to the hospital which is 12 km from here. Such activities are slowly improving the local economy.

There are about 10,000 people living in 61 villages of Simlipal forests."Though the Odisha government has a good track record in settling IFR and CFR claims, a lot of activities remain to be done. Since we have no hospital here, people are left to fend for themselves. In villages, people have got IFR and CFR titles over their claimed lands.Early-age marriage is seen to be continuing in these villages. This has resulted in both mother and children suffering from malnourishment and other health complications. For them, radio is the only source of information and entertainment.Agriculture has been confined to growing paddy and vegetables, which is at the mercy of rain god. All efforts to build roads and electricity infrastructure have fallen flat due to lack of coordination between forest and revenue departments.Lack of education has forced the people to continue with their primitive living style - herding goats and collecting firewood to cook their food, besides undertaking poultry activities. The tribals, who migrated to this place from the erstwhile south Bihar and now Jharkhand decades ago, care and worship the forests, hills and ever-flowing narrow streams descending from the hills.The villagers are yet to see a television set. Villagers often get sick after drinking contaminated water," says Birasingha. The forest department, as for Forest Conservation Act, 1980, considers residents of these villages illegal occupants. However, many of them still cannot make productive use of these lands as the lands granted to them are yet to be demarcated by revenue officials," says Mr Subudhi. Our village does not have tubewells or dug wells. Nature is everything for them. However, they do not lead a normal life as they have been deprived of basic infrastructure like road, electricity, water, educational institutes, primary health centres and transportation facilities.What has held back the development activities is inaccessibility.Birasingha Ugrasandhi, a resident of Bhaliadal village, said despite repeated requests to the Mayurbhanj district administration, there are no activities related to infrastructure development."We have asked the collectors of all tribal-dominated districts to settle the IFR and CFR claims by March 2019.Dillip Subudhi, a leading researcher who spent over 17 years in villages situated in Similipal and forests in other parts of the state, feels there will be remarkable improvement in the life of forest dwellers once their habitations are recognised as revenue villages and they are given IFR and CFR over their claimed lands as per the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Once this process is complete, you will see significant change in the life of forest dwellers," the minister said. We carry the patients on slings and cots and walk down to hospitals," said Sadhu Makhud of Jharjhari village under Thakurmunda block.Speaking to this newspaper, state ST & SC development minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi said the government had asked the district administrations to complete the titles of the IFR and CFR claims by March 2019."We have no primary and high schools here..People are now able to charge their mobile phones with solar battery. This has stood in the way of the villages getting the "revenue village" tag.85 per cent, according to 2011 census) is tribal

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