Implementation of Forest Right Act

Bhopal, Jan 16: State government has issued detailed instructions for time-bound implementation of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 and Rule 2007. The instructions issued to all the district collectors and Chief Executive Officers of District Panchayats lay down that the process of the Act's implementation should be completed within the deadline. This process is to be completed between January 26 and September 2008.

About the monitoring of the programme, it has been made mandatory for the district administration to keep informing the state government time to time. In this connection, the first report would be presented on January 31, 2008 which would include progress of district and sub-division level committees' formation. The district officers have been asked to send the second report on February 20, 2008 which would include information about formation of Forest Rights Committees and invitation of claims. The state-level monitoring committee headed by the Chief Secretary would monitor from time to time the progress of the process of recognising forest rights, their confirmation and transfer. The notification of this committee's constitution is to be issued soon. Member Secretary of this committee would be Commissioner Tribal Welfare.

It has been said about the district-level action that first of all a meeting of sub-divisional officers, divisional forest officers, assistant conservator forest and officers of Tribal Welfare Department should be convened and provisions of the Act be read out at this meeting so that so all the concerning officers are fully acquainted with various rules and articles of the Act. Later, a district-level meeting should be held where non-government members of district as well as divisional level committee should be named and the information of this proceeding be sent to the government. Collectors have been asked to constitute a cell at collectorate for inclusion of non-government members' names in the district and sub-divisional level committees.

Officers have also been instructed to ensure adequate publicity about Forest Rights Act so that people of every level can be aware of the provisions of the Act/Rule. Master trainers' training programme would be held up to January 18. Afterwards, these master trainers would impart training to nodal officers till January 26, 2008. The nodal officers should be made aware fully about the rules and provisions of Forest Rights Act. They must also be apprised of the action to be take by villages councils (Gram Sabha) so that the nodal officers can pass on the information about the Act to members and secretary (Village Panchayat Secretaries) of the village Panchayats for the meeting to be held on January 26, 2008.