Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Forest Conservation, Issue: The Forest Rights Act (FRA) Cells.
Context:
The Centre’s sanctioning of over 300 Forest Rights Act (FRA) cells under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA):
- For the first time since the enactment of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in 2006, the Union government has provided funding to establish structural mechanisms called FRA cells to support and facilitate the implementation of the law, which seeks to recognize the rights of Scheduled Tribes and forest-dwelling communities.
Key Takeaways:
Background on FRA (2006):
- The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognizes the rights of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) over forest land and resources.
- Implementation has traditionally been the responsibility of State/UT governments through structures like:
- Gram Sabha Forest Rights Committees (FRCs)
- Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs)
- District Level Committees (DLCs)
- State Monitoring Committees
About Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan:
- It aims to foster holistic development in tribal villages, bringing transformative changes to the socio-economic landscape of the region.
- The Abhiyan will cover around 63,843 villages, benefiting more than 5 crore tribal people in 549 districts, and 2,911 blocks spread across all tribal majority villages and aspirational blocks in 30 States/UTs.
- It envisions saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood through 25 interventions implemented by 17-line ministries of Govt of India by convergence and outreach; and ensures holistic and sustainable development of tribal areas and communities.
New Central Initiative: First-time direct funding & structural support by the Centre:
- 324 district-level FRA cells have been sanctioned across 18 States/UTs.
- 17 States/UTs have also been sanctioned State-level FRA cells.
- Funded under the DAJGUA scheme launched in October 2024.
Significance of the Initiative:
The establishment of FRA cells signifies a notable change in the Union government’s strategy to support tribal forest rights. However, concerns linger regarding potential parallel structures and the overall effectiveness of this new implementation model among activists and stakeholders.
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