FECOFUN launches signature campaign demanding users’ right

The Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN) has launched a campaign demanding the rights of community forest users.

The federation has announced a month-long struggle in a symbolic way adopting the government-enforced health safety protocol in view of the heightened risk of COVID-19.

At a program organized by FECOFUN Gandaki Province at the voting station of the National Assembly in Pokhara, the sitting province ministers, people’s representatives, and the general public had expressed their solidarity with the struggle by putting their signature on a white banner.

On the occasion, former chief minister of Gandaki province Prithvi Subba Gurung, minister for forest and soil conservation Deepak Thapa, minister for physical infrastructure Kumar Khadka, education minister Mekhlal Shrestha, former minster Padma Aryal and other people’s representatives had expressed their solidarity to the campaign.

The federation has come up with agitation demanding withdrawal of a draft of the Forest Regulation, 2078 BS which they said was formulated to curtail the rights of the community forestry. The federation has called for the government to make the province forest act, expand the reserve area, and scrap triple taxes, said FECOFUN Gandaki province chair Kalidas Subedi.