District & State Level Cells: Forest Rights Act, 2006

Syllabus: GS2/Government Policy & Intervention; GS3/Environment

Context

• Recently, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned the establishment of 324 district-level FRA cells and 17 state-level FRA cells under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan to ‘facilitate’ implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006.

What Are FRA Cells?

• FRA Cells are State and District-level administrative units created under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA) to accelerate the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA).
  • These cells are not created under the FRA 2006 legislation, but under an administrative scheme by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• The newly established FRA cells aim to facilitate the implementation of the FRA, particularly in districts and states where a large number of claims remain pending.
• These cells also aim to assist claimants and Gram Sabhas in preparing paperwork for FRA claims, managing data efficiently, and streamline administrative processes.
• These also aim to accelerate the disposal of pending claims, especially those delayed even after District Level Committee (DLC) approval.
• These cells will not interfere with decisions made by the Gram Sabha, Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs), District Level Committees (DLCs), or State government departments.

Current Status

• About 14.45% of the 51.11 lakh FRA claims across 21 states and union territories remain pending.
• Least FRA Pendency: Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand
  • However, in Assam (over 60%), and in Telangana (around 50.27%) claims are pending.
• The highest number of district FRA cells sanctioned so far has been in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Assam, and Jharkhand.

About the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006

• It is officially known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
• It was enacted to recognize the rights of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) over forest land.
• It ensures that Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other traditional forest dwellers can legally access and manage forest resources while contributing to biodiversity conservation.
• It impacts an estimated 150 million forest-dwelling people, 40 million hectares of land, and 1,70,000 villages.

Concerns Over New FRA Cells

• Parallel Governance: Creation of FRA cells outside the statutory FRA framework may lead to a dual structure, diluting accountability.
• Lack of Legal Backing: The FRA cells have no statutory authority, unlike SDLCs and DLCs.
• Potential Duplication: May lead to bureaucratic overlap, blurring of accountability

Source: TH