Basics: Understanding Forest Rights
- Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006: Recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) over forest land and resources.
- Types of Rights under FRA:
- Individual Forest Rights (IFR): Land rights to individual tribal/OTFD families for habitation or self-cultivation (up to 4 hectares).
- Community Forest Rights (CFR): Collective rights of a community over common forest resources for livelihood, grazing, fishing, NTFP (non-timber forest produce), etc.
- Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR): Specific right of Gram Sabhas to manage, protect, and conserve traditional forest resources.
Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology – Tribal Rights)
The Issue Reported
- Thousands of forest rights titles (IFR + CFRR) have “disappeared” from official records in the State Tribal Welfare Department.
- This happened over the last 17 months (based on RTI findings).
- Earlier, higher distribution figures were revised downward, with officials citing “miscommunication and reporting errors”.
- Current official data (as of May, via RTI):
- 4.82 lakh IFR titles distributed.
- 4,396 CFRR titles distributed.
- Across 30 districts of the state.
Possible Reasons for Data Discrepancy
- Administrative lapses: Poor record management or clerical mistakes.
- Political/Statistical adjustments: Inflated figures earlier for achievements; later “correction” to avoid audit issues.
- Weak monitoring: No centralized digital system to track title distribution.
- RTI revelations: Only citizen-led transparency has highlighted inconsistencies.
Implications of Missing Titles
- For Tribals/OTFDs:
- Loss of secure land tenure and livelihoods.
- Threat of eviction without formal rights.
- Erosion of trust in government schemes.
- For Governance:
- Raises credibility concerns over FRA implementation.
- Shows weak coordination between Tribal Welfare Department, Revenue, and Forest Departments.
- For Conservation:
- Without CFRR recognition, Gram Sabhas cannot legally manage forests → weakening decentralized forest governance.
Broader Context
- National FRA Status (as per MoTA data, 2023):
- ~46.35 lakh titles distributed across India.
- But less than 50% of total potential recognized.
- Common Problems in FRA implementation:
- High rejection rates of claims without proper reasons.
- Poor awareness among beneficiaries.
- Forest Department resistance to giving up control.
- Lack of updated land records and satellite mapping.
Way Forward
- Digital record-keeping: Create a state-wide FRA dashboard with district-wise data.
- Independent audit: Verify missing/altered numbers through CAG or third-party agencies.
- Empower Gram Sabhas: Strengthen their role in claim verification and record maintenance.
- Capacity building: Train revenue and tribal welfare officials on FRA provisions.
- Transparency measures: Mandate periodic public disclosure of FRA implementation status.
