Panchayat Member and Ex-Sarpanch; Sumitraben Nayak, along with claimants of forest land

Sumitraben Nayak has played a key role in helping the claimants of forest land in her village by using RTI and through the knowledge gained from training programmes held by ANANDI on Forest Rights Act. With the skills she garnered to use GPS, she surveyed and studied the forest land use and helped many in submitting their claims. Through GPS she could mark and identify; bore wells, wells, trees, houses and other natural resources. Sumitraben has also surveyed the land in agricultural use and helped with creating necessary documents for villagers. She alone has done land survey of 37 such claims. At the same time she also helps in collating necessary documents, which are submitted with the claims, such as old penalty receipts, water bills and copies of old 7/12 document of properties. This gives lot of encouragement for the poor and old farmers to fight their cases and claim land.