Why in news?
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has decided to restructure Forest Rights Act (FRA) cells by expanding their mandate and creating single project‑monitoring units in each State and district. This move comes a year after the ministry began funding FRA cells to support implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Background
The Forest Rights Act recognises the rights of forest‑dwelling communities over land and resources. To help States process claims, digitise records and provide technical assistance, the ministry funded FRA cells under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan (DAJGUA) programme launched in 2024. By June 2025 the ministry had sanctioned 324 district‑level cells across 18 States and union territories and 17 cells at the State level.
Existing functions of FRA cells
- Technical support: Assist in completing the process of recognising individual and community rights by helping Gram Sabhas prepare claim documents and collect evidence.
- Record keeping: Digitise land records and track claim status to ensure transparency and reduce delays.
- Convergence: Help convert forest villages into revenue villages and facilitate convergence of government schemes for beneficiaries.
- Capacity building: Create awareness among stakeholders and provide training to local officials to ensure proper implementation.
What will change?
At a review meeting held on 4 February 2026, the ministry proposed replacing multiple policy‑specific cells with Project Monitoring Units (PMUs) that would coordinate all forestry and tribal welfare policies. Each State‑level PMU would have four officials – dealing with FRA support, livelihood programmes, information technology and management information systems, and an assistant or team leader. At the district level there would be two experts: one for FRA support and one for MIS.
The rationale is to simplify coordination and reduce administrative costs. However, some States are concerned that shutting existing FRA cells could disrupt ongoing work. Odisha has already ordered closure of 50 sub‑division cells, and officials in Chhattisgarh are exploring how to transition staff to the new structure.
Significance
Streamlining support units may help States implement multiple policies more efficiently, but the transition must ensure that recognition of forest rights does not suffer. Dedicated FRA cells were created to provide targeted assistance to marginalised communities; merging them into larger units should be accompanied by clear guidelines, adequate staffing and training so that tribal rights remain a priority.
Source: The Hindu
