BHUBANESWAR: In the pursuit of addressing historical injustice and critical issues concerning forest rights, the Odisha Government has taken proactive measures to ensure the saturation of rights recognition under the Forest Rights Act within the next two years. A campaign mode has been adopted, with the establishment of forest rights cells at the district level.
Despite the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act), 2006, over the past fifteen years, the objective of achieving full rights recognition is yet to be realized. While progress has been made in recognizing Individual Forest Rights (IFR), the recognition of Community Rights (CR) and Community Forest Resources (CFR) rights lags behind, according to a senior government official.
Odisha is home to a diverse range of tribes, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), with a tribal population of 95,90,756, accounting for 22.85 percent of the state's total population. The state is ranked third in terms of Scheduled Tribe population nationally, with approximately 32,562 Forest Rights Act potential villages out of nearly 53,845 villages in the state. The estimated potential forest area for recognition of forest rights in Odisha is approximately 35,739 square kilometers.
To address the post-recognition challenges, such as livelihood support, creation of Records of Rights (RoRs) for forest land, and conversion of un-surveyed/forest villages into revenue villages, the government plans to introduce systematic interventions. In this regard, the Odisha Government has launched the "Mo Jungle Jami Yojana," a State Sector Scheme aimed at expediting the rights recognition process and post-recognition activities within a designated timeframe. The scheme will establish Forest Rights Cells at the Tehsil and District level, comprising skilled professionals who will facilitate the effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act in their respective districts.
The government has prioritized the saturation mode implementation of the Forest Rights Act, and Odisha has emerged as one of the leading states in distributing individual forest rights titles, with 4.56 lakhs distributed to date. However, there is still a significant gap between the potential and actual achievements in rights recognition and the associated development processes.
To bridge this gap, the Collectors have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring effective implementation and translating the provisions of the Forest Rights Act into tangible benefits for the forest-dependent communities. The government urges the Collectors to take necessary actions for the larger welfare of these communities.
Odisha's government is actively working towards the saturation of forest rights recognition, aiming to address historical injustices and critical issues. By establishing Forest Rights Cells and launching the "Mo Jungle Jami Yojana" scheme, they are dedicated to implementing the Forest Rights Act effectively and empowering the forest-dependent communities of the state.
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