A study on implementation status of Forest Right Act, 2006
at the national and state levels and its recommendations
By Abhijit Mohanty
Implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) in India provides an interesting insight to the people especially who are concerned about the Rights of Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest dwellers on land and forest resources. Peoples’ rights over forest resources are being recognised under FRA in an inclusive manner for the first time in independent India which has been widely appreciated not only throughout the country but also across the world. Within 6 years of the enactment of FRA in the country, a number of impediments came at the implementation level. In this regard a series of research work has been done by various likeminded organisations and researchers which clearly states many reasons responsible for the slow progress of the act, but there is no doubt that it has already initiated a positive change in the forest landscape of the country. Hence, it is imperative to meticulously analyse the status of implementation of Forest Right Act at the national and state level with particular reference to Odisha. This paper reflects the issue that confronts smooth implementation of FRA at various levels including recommendations that will be helpful to materialise the fruitful implementation of FRA in its true spirit and letter.