Draft Report of the Working Group on Forest Rights and Community Forest Rights

[Editor’s Note: In April 2021, the Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission set up a Task Force for “Adivasi development, and development of forests, wildlife and MFP areas”. The Task Force in turn set up multiple Working Groups, including one “Working Group Individual and Community Forest Rights” under the chairmanship of Prof Virginius Xaxa. Dr. Sharachchandra Lele from ATREE was a member of this Working Group and contributed substantially to its report. Since the report is not in wide circulation, it is being hosted here.]

The draft reports gives a review of the status of implementation of the IFR and CFR provisions of FRA in Chhattisgarh State as of 2022. It identifies issues in saturation of IFR claims and title recognition, CFR recognition and post-CFR support, condition of Forest Villages, forest diversion, and harmony with other forest policies. The report then recommends ways for rapid and rigorous implementation of FRA in a mission-mode.