In 2008, the village applied for the right over 18 sq km of village forest area under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Read full story: Give us 18 sq km
In 2009, Mendha Lekha alongwith Marda village became the first villages in the country to win community rights under the Forest Rights Act.
Read full story: Two tribal villages get 2,349 hectares
Six months after they got their forest titles, the tribal villagers found bureaucratic hurdles were hampering their powers under the Forest Rights Act of 2006.
Read full story: Forest titles only on paper
Unhappy over forest department's refusal to grant transit passes to transport bamboo out of the village for sale, Mendha Lekha stages a novel protest. It organised a bamboo sale in the village.
Read full story: Bamboo sale for bamboo rights
Finally on March 21 Environment minister Jairam Ramesh directed the states to ask their forest departments to to treat bamboo as a minor forest produce (MFP)
Read full story: Bamboo now minor forest produce
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