Regional Review Meeting on Forest Rights Act in Bengaluru: Discussion on Future Strategy with Southern States

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, organized its first regional review meeting on the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. This significant event brought together senior officials from the revenue, forest, and tribal welfare departments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The primary objective of the meeting was to evaluate the current status of the Act's implementation in these states and to formulate an integrated strategy for the future.

At the beginning of the meeting, officials from the Karnataka government welcomed the representatives, followed by a traditional dance performance by tribal artists. The Joint Secretary of the Ministry informed that over 5.4 million individual forest rights claims have been received at the national level, out of which approximately 2.54 million titles have been distributed. He urged the southern states to settle pending claims in a time-bound manner and prioritize community forest rights.

In her address, the Secretary of the Ministry emphasized that the recognition of rights should aim at ensuring livelihood security and the convergence of development schemes for tribal communities. Describing the habitat rights of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) as a system of culture and traditional knowledge, she stressed the need to recognize them with sensitivity. She also highlighted the need to strengthen forest governance led by the Gram Sabha.

During the meeting, Ministry officials emphasized the digitization of FRA records and encouraged states to utilize the national-level 'FRA portal' currently under development. The states shared updates on their respective progress. For instance, Telangana shared the success of its digital 'Online ROFR Title Granting System,' while Andhra Pradesh discussed implementing an integrated model through the 'Giribhumi FRA Portal.'

Karnataka provided details on the re-verification process for pending claims, while Tamil Nadu shared its progress through the 'FRA Atlas' and capacity building. Kerala detailed the pending claims due to survey and verification processes. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Ministry directed all states to prepare state-specific roadmaps to accelerate the settlement of pending claims and the recognition of community rights.