The Centre would "fight" Naxals through welfare and empowerment schemes and protect tribals from being used as shields by the ultras, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said.

"In the name of forest dwellers, Maoists have created an atmosphere of fear (in the society). Our fight against Maoists is continuing. Through schemes for tribal welfare and women empowerment, with a strong political willpower, we will defeat their design," he told a meeting of Adivasi Adhikar Samavesa at Narla in Odisha's Kalahandi district.

Stating that Maoists were using tribals as shields, Ramesh said the Naxal issue can be tackled by strengthening Gram Sabhas and accelerating political processes and greater participation among forest dwellers.

As promised, the UPA government had undertaken several developmental schemes for uplift of tribals and many more were in the offing, Ramesh said.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo, who also attended the function, said tribals remained deprived as benefits of developmental schemes failed to percolate to them and they should be brought into the social mainstream.

A large number of tribal representatives from different parts of Kalahandi and adjoining districts drew the attention of the two union ministers to various problems, including the issue of fake caste certificates.

In a major step to empower forest dwellers, Jamguda in tribal dominated Kalahandi became the first village in Odisha and second in the country to exercise its community right to harvest bamboo under the Forest Rights Act.

With transit passes given to gram sabha, residents of Jamguda are now free to harvest and sell bamboo and not wait wait for the government's special permission.

Jamguda has become the first village in Odisha to get official permission for selling minor forest produce like bamboo and kendu leaf. Earlier, Mendha Lekha village in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra had been allowed to do so.

Noting that only two villages in the country could exercise this right under FRA in the last two years, Ramesh said the process needs to be accelerated.

The Maoist issue can be dealt with effectively by stepping up development and political process in tribal dominated areas, the union minister said.

Local Congress MP Bhakta Charan Das and Odisha's Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro were present at the function where 50 acres of individual forest land and 23.5 acres of community forest land were given to 60 families.

As a symbolic gesture, Bhakta Charan Das purchased bamboo from some villagers and said money earned from the sale will be used for the welfare of tribals.

The transit passes were issued under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, which mandates individual and community rights to people for whom the forest is the only source of livelihood, and empowers them to sell minor forest produce.

Over 15,000 villages in Odisha have been identified for getting community rights as per the FRA provisions. While 2,300 villages have already received the titles, applications of 6,000 villages are currently being processed, they said.

Deo said steps would be taken to ensure proper support price for minor forest produce.