Centre to give ‘more power’ to tribal communities in managing forest resources

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 5

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change have jointly decided to give more powers to the tribal communities in managing the forest resources, according to an official statement.

A “joint communication” to this effect is scheduled to be signed on Monday.

It pertains to the effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which is commonly known as Forest Rights Act (FRA).

The Act recognises and vests the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest-dwelling scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded. It also provides a framework for recording the forest rights so vested and the nature of evidence required for such recognition and vesting in respect of forest land, as per the statement.