Garhwal Post Bureau
Mussoorie, 10 May: During a press conference held here, today, an independent fact-finding team—comprising members who had arrived from across the country—raised serious questions regarding the Doodhli forest rights dispute. The team alleged that the administration’s conduct is inconsistent with both the spirit and provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and that the rights of the Gram Sabha are being disregarded. The team has demanded immediate intervention in the entire matter from both the State and Central governments.
The eight-member independent fact-finding team visited Doodhli village, as well as the wider Dehradun and Mussoorie regions, on 8 and 9 May. The team consisted of representatives from national-level organisations working on forest rights laws, independent lawyers, journalists, and researchers. The team gathered information regarding the entire issue by interacting with Gram Sabha members, the Forest Rights Committee, the Forest Management Committee, administrative officials, and local residents.
During the press conference, team members stated that questions regarding the legitimacy of the Gram Sabha were raised at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) level, despite the fact that the Forest Rights Act, 2006, explicitly grants specific rights to the Gram Sabha. According to the team, the administration’s argument—that the Gram Sabha is invalid because Doodhli falls under Ward-13 of the Municipality—runs contrary to both the law and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The team asserted that, under the law, such villages and settlements—whether officially notified or not—are recognised as valid Gram Sabhas. Furthermore, claims for Community Forest Rights and Community Forest Resource Rights can be filed even with respect to private forest lands.
The fact-finding team pointed out that claims related to Community Forest Rights were submitted by the Doodhli Gram Sabha in July 2025; however, despite the 60-day statutory timeframe mandated by law, no final decision has been reached to date. The team characterised this situation as administrative negligence and a display of grave apathy. Team members stated that the Gram Sabha had sent several reminders to the administration, yet despite these efforts, no action has been taken. In fact, even a letter sent to the Chief Secretary on 19 February, is reportedly still under consideration.
The team alleged that an atmosphere of fear and pressure prevails among the members of the Gram Sabha. The report noted that on 17 April 2026, a dispute arose between the Gram Sabha and private landowners regarding fencing in the forest area, following which complaints were lodged with the police. Subsequently, the Gram Sabha installed barriers and information boards to curb tourism-related pressures and encroachments; however, on 26 April, the administration arrived with a police force, removed the barriers, and destroyed the boards. The team asserts that this action has created an atmosphere of fear among the villagers. Members of the Gram Sabha informed the team that they are constantly receiving threats and intimidating phone calls. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding incidents of illegal fencing and tree felling within the forest area.
During the press conference, team members—including Mamata Dash, Dasharathi Behera, Suryamani Bhagat, Xavier Kujur, Srishti Datta Agnihotri, and others—demanded immediate government intervention in the matter. The team has demanded the expeditious resolution of the community forest rights claims of the Dudhli Gram Sabha, the sensitisation of administrative officials regarding the Forest Rights Act, and the provision of security to Gram Sabha members. Furthermore, they demanded strict action against those involved in issuing threats, illegal fencing, and tree felling. The fact-finding team emphasised that the objective of the Forest Rights Act is to rectify historical injustices, and warned that, if the legitimate rights of Gram Sabhas are disregarded, it could lead to an escalation of social tensions.
