State tops in settling claims under Forest Rights Act

KOZHIKODE: Kerala, which has been poor in the implementation of tribal projects, has managed to seek some glory by settling the highest percentage of claims received under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in the country .
As per the latest status report on FRA implementation released by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), the state has settled 65.53% of the total claims received, which is the highest in the country , and has distributed titles for 33,018 acres of forest land to the tribals.
However, tribal activists say that delays in granting community forest rights (CFR) under the Act and the small size of land holdings assigned under individual rights of FRA in many places have cast a shadow on the state's commitment towards the ambitious tribal empowerment objectives of the landmark legislation.
As per the MoTA status report, the state has received 37,535 claims (36,140 individual claims and 1,395 community claims) as on July 31, 2016. The state distributed 33,018 acres of forest land under 24,599 titles.
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwell ers Act (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, which became operational in January 2008, envisages undoing of the `historic injustice' meted out to forest dwellers and ensuring the rights and livelihoods of forest dwelling communities.
The Act recognises the individual rights of forest dwellers to live and cultivate in forest land. In addition, it also seeks to ensure their livelihood and food security by allowing rights of ownership and access to collect and use minor forest produce (MFP) which have been traditionally used by tribals for livelihood. Tripura has the second place in honouring FRA claims and has settled 64.21% of the applications received. Odisha came third but is credited with distribution of the highest number of titles (3.88 lakh).Madhya Pradesh distributed the most extent of forest land (21 lakh acres).
Tribal activists, however, said that though the state topped in granting FRA claims, there were many flaws in the implementation of the Act.“For instance, in the tribal stronghold district of Wayanad, many tribals have got rights for less just than five cents, which is not viable to secure their livelihood.Also, the crucial issue of granting community forest rights has not been addressed so far,“ Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha leader M Geethanandan said.
“We have prepared an action plan to speed up the process of granting the remaining claims under FRA. Also, we will be taking steps to grant community forests rights, an issue which has not been addressed so far,“ said V Venu, principal secretary , SCST development department.
Suma Vishnudas, scientist at M S Swaminathan Research Foundation's Community Agro Biodiversity Centre, who had studied implementation of forest rights act in Wayanad, said that more than 76 per cent of the total beneficiaries in Wayanad received less than one acre of land. “Some tribals who set up elephant trenches around their houses got as little as 1.5 cents of land. When we pointed out the extremely small holdings, the authorities had said community rights would be given in the next phase,“ she said.
Suma said there is no clarity about the role of the newly formed Forest Rights Committee (FRC) in forest conservation.“A major hurdle is that the forest department has not been sensitised about the Act,“ she added.