Implementation of Forest Rights Act in Chhattisgarh: A Case of 'Disappearing' Titles
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity & Governance (Key Legislations - Forest Rights Act 2006, Role of Gram Sabha), Social Justice (Tribal Rights), Current Events.
Mains:
GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections (Scheduled Tribes).
GS Paper 3: Issues relating to conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
Key Highlights from the News
Main Event: Documents obtained through the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) reveal that thousands of forest rights titles distributed in some districts of Chhattisgarh have disappeared from government records.
Government Explanation: Government officials claim this is a "reporting error" and that incorrect figures have been rectified.
Factual Discrepancy: Monthly progress reports from districts like Bastar, Rajnandgaon, and Bijapur show a decrease in the number of forest rights titles.
Legal Issue: Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA), there is no procedure to withdraw titles once granted. Therefore, experts point out that this reduction is an "anomaly."
Background: Over 43% of the total forest rights titles distributed nationwide are in Chhattisgarh.
Status in Naxal-Affected Districts: Implementation of the Forest Rights Act is very slow in districts declared free of Naxalism.
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