Directive Limiting Non-Forest Agencies in Forest Rights Work Rolled Back Amid Public Outcry
Raipur, Chhattisgarh — The Chhattisgarh Forest Department has officially revoked its controversial directive that restricted the involvement of other government departments, NGOs, and private entities in Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) activities. The rollback comes in the wake of intense protests across tribal-dominated regions, where the directive was viewed as an infringement of constitutional rights guaranteed under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
Minister Orders Withdrawal Amid Mounting Pressure
According to a government statement issued on Thursday, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap directed the withdrawal of the May 15 advisory, acknowledging the scale of public opposition. The directive had positioned the forest department as the sole supervisory authority over CFRR lands—effectively undermining Gram Sabha autonomy, a core principle of the FRA.
Forest Rights Act: Safeguarding Tribal Autonomy
The FRA empowers gram sabhas to manage, protect, and conserve community forest resources, and to block any activities that threaten forest ecosystems, biodiversity, or local wildlife. The May order was seen as an attempt to recentralize control under the forest department, contrary to the decentralized model enshrined in the FRA.
Statewide Tribal Protests Force Government’s Hand
The backlash was swift and widespread, with demonstrations erupting in Nagri, Ambikapur, Kanker, Gaurela, Narayanpur, Gariaband, Pithora, Balod, and Bastar. Protesters, backed by civil society groups, submitted memorandums calling the order “unconstitutional” and “anti-tribal”, demanding its immediate withdrawal.
Forest Department Clarifies: “Typographical Error”
The order, signed by PCCF V. Sreenivasa Rao, had cited a 2020 central communication to justify naming the forest department as the nodal agency. However, the department later termed this a “typographical error”, which it tried to rectify via a corrigendum on June 23. Amid ongoing unrest and confusion, both the original order and the corrigendum have now been formally withdrawn.
FRA Implementation in Chhattisgarh: Key Stats
The department highlighted its commitment to FRA, citing:
4,78,641 individual titles issued
4,349 community forest rights granted
Over 20 lakh hectares of forest land recognized
Awaiting Central Guidelines to Move Forward
The department explained that the now-withdrawn order was a stop-gap measure aimed at aligning CFRR processes with the National Working Plan Code (NWPC) 2023, in the absence of clear model plans from the Centre. It has now urged the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to urgently release:
Model CFRR plans
Detailed implementation guidelines
Capacity-building modules for Gram Sabhas and stakeholders
Next Steps: Restoring Trust and Ensuring FRA Compliance
While the forest department maintains the order was procedural, tribal communities see it as a warning against any dilution of the FRA’s decentralizing spirit. With the advisory now repealed, all eyes are on the central ministries, whose delayed action continues to stall effective and autonomous CFRR implementation on the ground.
