Rightful claims under Forest Rights Act should not be rejected on frivolous grounds: Arjun Munda

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs holds review meeting on the implementation

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on Friday chaired a meeting to review the implementation status of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, calling for expeditiously clearing of pending cases of forest land claims, especially those pending at the sub-divisional and district levels. Rightful claims of individuals or communities should not be rejected on frivolous grounds, he said.

He added that in the implementation of the FRA, 2006, the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) must be given “utmost importance”.

The review meeting comes in the wake of fresh allegations from the Congress party that the Union government’s 2022 Forest Conservation Rules were “anti-tribal” after the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes told the Environment Ministry to put them on hold because they diluted the provisions of the FRA, the implementation of which is being undertaken by Tribal Research Institutes in States and Union Territories. 

At the review meeting, which was attended by Secretary of Tribal Affairs Anil Kumar Jha; Additional Secretary R. Jaya and other senior officials and State-level representatives, Mr. Munda also emphasised the need for efforts at the State level for the disposal of reviews of the rejected and pending claims wherever needed. “The requisite support in terms of revenue and forest records and other relevant documents at the gram sabha level should be provided,” he told officials, according to a statement put out by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Twitter.  

The Ministry added that Mr. Munda called for State-level officials to effectively and smoothly implement the FRA, 2006, and manage resources available with the State government “with proper convergence to safeguard the rights of tribals and to strengthen sustainable livelihoods”. 

Asking the Tribal Research Institutes implementing the provisions of the FRA to “act as think tanks” that formulate specific plans for the benefit of tribespeople and tribal areas, Mr. Munda urged them to conduct constant evaluations of plans and projects, impact studies and give State-level policy makers the requisite inputs to create better strategies and course-correct in the schemes that are currently being run for tribal communities. 

On the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, the Minister said, “The PVTGs should be given utmost attention while implementing the provisions of the FRA or the developmental schemes and projects.”