A year after the Tribal Affairs Ministry launched a programme to support the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the government has decided to expand the role of Forest Rights Act Cells (FRA cells) at the State and Union Territory levels.
The funding for FRA cells was introduced under the Ministry’s DAJGUA programme. The main aim was to help States by providing extra staff and resources to speed up the process of handling forest rights claims. These cells also assist in maintaining proper records and digitising existing documents related to forest rights titles.
So far, the Ministry has approved 324 district-level FRA cells across 18 States and Union Territories, along with 17 State-level cells. These cells are meant to improve coordination, ensure faster decision-making, and reduce delays in granting forest rights to eligible beneficiaries.
With the expansion of their mandate, the FRA cells are expected to take on more responsibilities at the State and UT levels. The move is aimed at strengthening the overall implementation of the Forest Rights Act and ensuring that forest-dwelling communities receive their rightful benefits in a timely and transparent manner.