Chhattisgarh tops in the country in the implementation of forest rights recognition | 04 Sep 2023

Why is News?

According to the information given by the Public Relations Department of Chhattisgarh on September 3, 2023, the state of Chhattisgarh ranks first in the country in providing individual forest rights certificates.

Key Points:

Forest Rights Recognition Act is being implemented effectively and sensitively in Chhattisgarh. As a result, all the poor and weaker sections of the state including tribals and forest dwellers have got a lot of relief and their economic condition has also strengthened.
In the context of Forest Rights Recognition Certificate in Chhattisgarh, Forest Rights Certificates have been provided to a total of 517096 lakh beneficiaries. Chhattisgarh state ranks first in the country in providing individual forest rights certificates.
Under this, help has been provided through many schemes for the overall development of the beneficiaries, with the aim of providing maximum benefits to the beneficiaries through land leveling, development of water resources and clusters.
In this regard, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests V. Srinivas Rao said that the beneficiaries will be provided with public welfare schemes of the state, such as 'Mukhyamantri Vriksha Sampada Yojana' with buyback guarantee on private land, plantation of other crops instead of paddy to encourage crop diversity. Provision of incentive amount etc. is also being added.
Under this, as a result of land development, agricultural production per beneficiary has increased and many types of income-oriented crops (cash crops) are also being produced in these areas. Due to this, livelihood upliftment of the beneficiaries has also been ensured. At the same time, this has brought out the direct concern of the public towards forest protection and its positive results are emerging.
Similarly, a total of 46,000 cases have been recognized under community forest rights in the state, which is again the highest in the country. Under this, various types of drainage rights are given to the people living in forest areas, such as rights related to minor forest products, fish and other water products and pasture rights, housing rights to special backward castes and communities, farmers, right to convert all forest villages, old habitation areas, unsurveyed villages etc. into revenue villages, etc.
Apart from this, the minimum support price of 67 species has been declared for the collection of minor forest produce found in the forest area and this year in Chhattisgarh. Through effective implementation of State Forest Rights Recognition, success has been achieved in collecting 73 percent of the country's minor forest produce.
According to the information received from the Forest and Climate Change Department, a total of 4306 Community Forest Resource Rights Recognition Certificates have been provided in the state. The state of Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to provide recognition for the management of forest resource rights, where forest rights letters have been provided keeping in mind the protection of the rights of forest dwellers on a large scale.
Under this right, the Gram Sabha has been given the right to manage the recognized forest areas. The process of preparing a management plan for the management of the said forests is in progress, for which the stakeholders of about 2000 villages of 19 districts have to be integrated with the work plan by preparing a management plan and ensuring management.
In the management plan, all dimensions of management are proposed by conducting all types of surveys for the management of forests recognized as Community Forest Resource Rights. Here it is ensured that what kind of plantation or conservation work can be proposed for maximum benefit on each unit of forest land.
In about 700 villages of 19 districts of the state, a voluntary organization named Foundation for Ecological Security has been looking for possibilities for processing and increasing income resources and related training has been given.
Similarly, training has been imparted in 36 villages of 05 districts on various aspects of advanced techniques and processing of agriculture by the Pradan organization. Along with this, a plan is being prepared for mass planting of local species by integrating the provisions of the work plan in the management plan at vacant places.
Under the Community Forest Resources Rights Act, about 106 trainings have been organized in 24 districts of the state, in which a total of 5492 beneficiaries have benefited.