National Workshop Charts Roadmap to Strengthen Forest Rights of Tribals, OTFDs

The workshop hosted three technical sessions, each addressing critical aspects of FRA implementation.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), in collaboration with the National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI), organised a National Consultative Workshop in New Delhi on the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, reaffirming the government’s commitment to restoring the rights, dignity, and livelihoods of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs).

The workshop aligns with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of empowering tribal communities through secure land tenure, strengthened Gram Sabhas, and rightful ownership of forest resources under the FRA framework.

---

Union Minister Calls FRA a Landmark Law for Justice and Livelihood Security

In the inaugural session, the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs underscored the transformative potential of the FRA, calling it a landmark legislation that redresses the historical injustices faced by forest-dependent communities.

The Minister emphasised:

• Community Forest Rights (CFRs) as the backbone of sustainable livelihoods

• The need for robust protection, value addition, and marketing of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) like Sal leaves and Mahua

• Focused interventions by States to empower STs and OTFDs

“Securing FRA rights is fundamental to ensuring sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

---

Digitisation, Geotagging and Habitat Rights: Priorities for Future Implementation

The Secretary, Tribal Affairs stressed the importance of:

• Geotagging all recognized forest rights (IFR, CR, CFR)

• Full digitisation of FRA records

• Ensuring habitat rights for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

• Strengthening monitoring through transparent, tech-enabled systems

The Act, she said, is central to tenure security, democratic forest governance, biodiversity conservation, and India’s vision of Viksit Bharat.

---

Panel Discussions: Challenges, Reforms and Strategies

The workshop hosted three technical sessions, each addressing critical aspects of FRA implementation.

---

Panel 1: Incorporating Records of Forest Rights into Government Land Records

Experts highlighted persistent challenges:

• Complex boundary demarcation

• Conflicts between traditional and notified forest boundaries

• Incomplete digitisation and mismatches in legacy data

Key recommendations included:

• Establishing Van Adhikar Kendras staffed with trained personnel

• Integrating revenue and forest records

• Uniform FRA data formats across States

• Digitisation of legacy records after necessary corrections

• Blockchain-enabled single-window FRA portal, integrating GIS shape files and potential FRA atlases

Deputy Secretary Shri Ganesh Nagarajan informed that such a system—designed to streamline claims and provide decision support for linked development schemes—is already under development.

---

Panel 2: Strengthening Community Forest Governance (Sections 3(1)(i) and 5)

Discussions focused on:

• Long-term adaptive forest management

• Federating Gram Sabhas for better convergence

• Deploying CAMPA funds for CFR management plans

Best practices from Maharashtra, shared by Smt. Manjiree Manolkar (Commissioner, TRTI), showcased:

• Strong policy support

• Stakeholder collaboration

• Livelihood enhancement through CFR-based enterprises

• Replicable pathways from rights recognition to sustainable governance

IGF R. Raghu Prasad emphasised empowering Gram Sabhas as primary managers of forest resources.

---

Panel 3: Habitat Rights of PVTGs

Panelists stressed that PVTG habitat rights represent:

• Customary traditions

• Cultural landscapes

• Ancestral practices

Successful cases from the Dongria Kondh and Lanjia Saora communities in Odisha were highlighted, where recognition of habitat rights enabled:

• UNESCO recognition for habitat conservation

• Reduced vulnerability to drought

• Protection of culturally significant landscapes

Key recommendations included:

• Urgent directions to District Collectors in PVTG areas

• Formation of a national working group for coordinated implementation

• Enhanced documentation using Form B

• Leveraging habitat rights for landscape-level conservation

---

Consensus and Way Forward

The workshop concluded with broad agreement on the need for:

• Faster, accurate recording of FRA rights in official land records

• Strong inter-departmental coordination

• Capacity building of Gram Sabhas

• Improved convergence of FRA with environmental, livelihood and development schemes

• Evidence-based policy reforms and continuous engagement with States

MoTA reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening FRA implementation through:

• Institutional reforms

• Technological integration

• Community-centric governance

• Capacity-building and stakeholder collaboration

The event marked a significant step towards ensuring that forest-dependent communities receive secure tenure, sustainable livelihoods, and rightful recognition of their cultural and ecological heritage.