Annual Report 1999-2000 had never been shown the lands allotted to them, others complained that powerful persons had dispossessed them. It was further stated that while the closure of stone quarries by -the State Government had resulted in large scale unemployment and economic hardship to bona fide workers and traders in Mirzapur district, illegal quarrying was persisting under the protection of a mining mafia. 6.14 The Commission, after considering the report and approving of detailed recommendations proposed by the DG(I), directed the State Government to look into those recommendations with a view to framing appropriate schemes that would empower the tribals and other landless persons of the district without disturbing the ecology of the area. 6.15 A similar issue was brought to the notice of the Commission in a complaint received from Swami Agnivesh, who stated that tribals residing in the districts of Chitrakoot, Allahabad, Mirzapur and adjoining areas had not been given the status of STs by the State Government, and that this had deprived them of benefits to which they should have been entitled. The tribals had been living in poor economic conditions, held in bondage and forced to work in slave-like conditions, the wages paid to them being far below the minimum ,fixed by the Government. On considering the complaint, the Commission was of the view that there was need for a radical change in the way in which the State Government dealt with the problems facing the tribals. There ivas need to recognise their special relationship with the forests, and for the State to fulfil its mandatory role of enhancing their well-being rather than driving them out of the forest. The Commission also took the vieiv that the existing system of auction of mining rights was totally unjust and led to the exploitation of the tribals. Lxjoking at the gravity of the situation, the Commission has constituted an expert committee to study' this matter carefully and to propose specific courses of action. The matter is being monitored closely by the Commission. 58