News Article: Encroachment on Grazing Lands, Pastures and Orans in Villages

Summary of the article -

1. Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) works for Soil Conservation, Forest Development and development of water resources with the aim to protect the common lands, especially in rural areas and works to assign responsibility of managing these to the local institutions like the Gram Panchayat. FES is currently operating at Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and North East states of Assam, Tripura and Mizoram. In Rajasthan, FES works in those regions of Bhilwara and Ajmer where animal husbandry and agriculture are the main sources of livelihood.
2. Government of Rajasthan has taken many commendable steps to counter the problem of encroachment on common lands and has issued orders for the demarcation and restoration of these common lands with the help of Panchayats.
3. The Government has also prepared a comprehensive bill to for restoration of common lands and prevent their encroachment which will be presented in the legislative assembly.
4. Supreme court's judgment related to common lands has been cited.
5. The issue related to conservation of Commons and the Supreme Court's judgment regarding this was a component of the chief minister's budget speech for 2011 – 12. Government is making efforts to pass the bill regarding restoration and conservation of common lands which will have  a long term positive impact on the community.
   
   
   A scanned copy of the article is attached below -