In a first, Centre sanctions over 300 FRA cells to ‘facilitate’ implementation of Forest Rights Act across 18 States, UTs, Pg14

Key Highlights

• The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 324 district-level Forest Rights Act (FRA) cells across 18 States and UTs, marking the first direct Central funding support for the FRA’s implementation since its enactment in 2006.
• These cells are being set up under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA), a Central government initiative launched in October 2024.

Detailed Insights

• The FRA (2006) legally mandates that implementation responsibilities lie with State governments, through structures like Gram Sabha Forest Rights Committees (FRCs), Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs), and District Level Committees (DLCs).
• The FRA cells do not have legal standing under the FRA itself but are created under the DAJGUA programme guidelines, raising concerns about a parallel mechanism outside the FRA’s statutory framework.
• The government claims that these cells will only offer technical assistance to claimants and Gram Sabhas, aiding in paperwork preparation and data management, without interfering in statutory decision-making.
• As of March 2025, around 14.45% of the 51.11 lakh FRA claims remained pending across 21 States/UTs. Over 42% of the disposed claims were rejected, leading to calls for capacity enhancement at the grassroots level.
• The largest number of FRA cells has been sanctioned in Madhya Pradesh (55), followed by Chhattisgarh (30), Telangana (29), Maharashtra (26), Assam (25), and Jharkhand (24).
• The FRA cells are funded by the Centre through Grants-in-aid General, with a budget allocation of ₹8.67 lakh per district cell and ₹25.85 lakh per State-level cell.

Key Concepts Involved

• Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA): A key land rights law aimed at recognizing the rights of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) to forest land and resources.
• DAJGUA (Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan): A convergence initiative integrating 25 schemes across 17 ministries to enhance service delivery in 68,000 tribal-dominated villages, including faster FRA implementation. 

Mains Mock Question:
Critically examine the implications of the Centre's move to establish FRA facilitation cells on the federal structure of FRA implementation. How can these efforts be aligned with constitutional mandates and tribal autonomy?