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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘FRA Cells under DAJGUA’ : 14 June

Daily News Analysis ‘FRA Cells under DAJGUA’ : 14 June

Table of Content

What is the Initiative?

  • Under Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned:
    • 324 District FRA Cells in 18 States/UTs
    • 17 State FRA Cells
  • Objective: Facilitate and accelerate recognition of forest rights of Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs).
  • Funded through Grants-in-aid General, with a budget of ₹8.67 lakh per district cell and ₹25.85 lakh per state cell.

Functions of FRA Cells:

  • Assist Gram Sabhas and claimants in preparing documentation and collecting evidence.
  • Support digitisation, land demarcation, and conversion of forest villages into revenue villages.
  • Facilitate quicker disposal of pending and post-approval claims.

Forest Rights Act, 2006:

(Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006)

  • Objective: To recognize and vest forest rights to Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) who have been residing in forests and dependent on forest land for livelihood.

Key Provisions:

  • Recognizes individual rights (e.g., right to homestead, cultivation) and community rights (e.g., grazing, collection of minor forest produce, right to manage forest resources).
  • Requires that claimants must prove residence and dependence for 3 generations (75 years) in the case of OTFDs.
  • Empowers the Gram Sabha as the authority to initiate the process of determining forest rights.
  • Establishes a three-tier structure for claim approval:
    • Forest Rights Committees (FRCs) at the Gram Sabha level
    • Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs)
    • District Level Committees (DLCs)

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA):

  • Aims to ensure holistic development of tribal villages. It c overs 63,843 villages across 30 States/UTs.
  • Focuses on saturating gaps in health, education, livelihood, and infrastructure. Promotes sustainable and inclusive growth in tribal-dominated areas.

Why in News?

The Union Government has, for the first time, started funding district- and state-level FRA Cells under the DAJGUA scheme to support implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.