India, Aug. 25 -- The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Union Government, the Chhattisgarh Government and the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RRVUNL) on a plea seeking enforcement of community forest rights of residents of a village near the Parsa East and Kete Basen (PEKB) coal block.

Community forest rights in Chhattisgarh give local tribal groups and forest dwellers legal power to protect, manage and use their traditional forest lands.

The top court issued notices to the Centre, the State Government, RRVUNL and the District Level Forest Rights Committee (DLC) of Surguja on the plea of the 'Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti' (HABSS) and six others challenging the verdict of the Chhattisgarh High Court of ...