2 months ago
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A year after the Tribal Affairs Ministry started a programme to fund Forest Rights Act Cells (FRA cells) to aid the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the authorities has decided to grow the mandate of specified cells astatine the State- and Union Territory-level, The Hindu has learnt.
Funding of FRA cells was introduced as portion of the Ministry’s DAJGUA programme to help States with additional human resources and expedite the processing of wood rights claims, too helping successful record-keeping and digitising existing records of wood rights titles. Till past June, the Ministry had sanctioned 324 district-level cells successful 18 States and UTs, and 17 cells astatine the State level.
In a reappraisal gathering with States connected February 4, the Ministry moved to create ‘one-stop’ Project Monitoring Units (PMUs) that would coordinate connected each argumentation matters, officials said.
The determination has created disorder among respective States implementing the FRA, which person already formed FRA cells. Last week, the Odisha authorities ordered closure of existing FRA cells successful 50 sub-divisions, a determination an authoritative confirmed arsenic being portion of the Ministry’s revamp plans.
Officials successful Chhattisgarh said the State is figuring retired however to signifier PMUs and exploring if existing FRA cells tin grow functions beyond the FRA’s ambit. However, the officials person not received immoderate written instructions from the Ministry.
A Ministry official said provisions to money cells exclusively for FRA implementation were “increasing costs” and made challenging connection with the States connected implementing policies.
With the updated policy, each State and UT volition person a PMU comprising 4 officials – for FRA support, livelihood support, IT and MIS expertise, and 1 different adjunct oregon squad leader. Under PMUs, determination volition be two experts successful each territory – for FRA enactment and 1 MIS adept – for coordination.
“Separate cells for each argumentation were creating challenges successful coordinating the enactment and truthful it was thought that it volition beryllium simpler and faster for policies to beryllium implemented if 1 portion was acceptable up to coordinate connected each policies,” the authoritative said, adding that States were briefed successful the February 4 gathering truthful that they got clip to adjust.
Officials said respective States expressed apprehensions astir shutting down existing FRA cells but were told astir their impermanent nature. “The Ministry has further informed them of the changes successful the argumentation truthful that they person clip to re-assign FRA compartment unit oregon fto spell of them, arsenic per the need,” the official said.
An authoritative successful Chhattisgarh said unit for FRA cells were specifically hired for FRA implementation and it needs to beryllium seen if they tin grip different aspects.
