Why in the News?

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has begun inquiries after the Odisha government directed closure of several Forest Rights Act Cells and removal of staff involved in implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

About the Forest Rights Act, 2006

Objective

• Recognises historical rights of:
  • Scheduled Tribes
  • Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
• Over forest land used for habitat and livelihood.

Types of Rights Recognised

1. Individual Forest Rights
2. Community Rights
3. Community Forest Resource Rights

Institutional Mechanism

• Gram Sabha is the initiating authority.
• Sub Divisional Level Committee
• District Level Committee as final authority

What are FRA Cells?

• FRA Cells were created to:
  • Provide technical and clerical support
  • Maintain records
  • Digitise forest rights titles
  • Expedite processing of claims

They were supported under:

• DA JGUA Scheme

  • Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan
  • Launched in 2024
  • Central scheme
  • Provides additional human resources to strengthen FRA implementation

• Mo Jungle Jami Yojana (Odisha State Scheme)

• • Mo Jungle Jami Yojana
  • State initiative to support FRA implementation

Current Issue

• Closure of 50 sub divisional FRA Cells.
• Direction to clear all pending claims by March end.
• Earlier discontinuation of district and tehsil level FRA staff.
• Nearly 20 percent of FRA claims pending in the State.
• Odisha has:
  • Second highest number of titles issued after Chhattisgarh.
  • Sixth highest pendency rate.

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