Bhubaneswar, July 11: Tribal leaders from Khandhamal and Keonjhar today met chief minister Naveen Patnaik to urge him to take action against the petition filed by the Society of Retired Forest Officers of Orissa in high court against the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

Orissa is home to tribal people accounting for more than one-fifth of the total population, thus hold over land and forest are important issues. Tribal leaders opined that the Orissa government had taken commendable steps for effective implementation of the act.

However, a writ petition filed by forest officers’ society, challenging the act, has caused disappointment among the tribal and forest dwelling communities.

The Orissa High Court has already issued a notice to the Union government based on the officers’ petition and the petition hearing would be conducted on July 22.

“The confidence raised by the proactive steps taken by the government now lay shattered,” said Sudarsan Kanhar from Khandhamal.