Forest Right Act

Implementation of the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 in the State of West Bengal.

1. Objective: The main objective of this process is to recognize forest rights of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers, who have been living inside forest areas or using forest resources for their main livelihood.
2. Identification of the scope of work: Out of the 23 Districts of the State, 13 districts are identified where there is a scope of implementation of the provisions of the Forest Rights Act. They are: - Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Burdwan, Cooch Behar, Hooghly, Birbhum, Darjeeling , Kalimpong and Murshidabad.
3. Action Plan: The following steps were taken for the recognition of Forest Rights :

1. 1. Formation of the State-Level, District-Level, Sub-Divisional-Level Committees and also Forest Rights Committees in Darjeling and Kalimpong District (GTA).
   2. Arrangement for building awareness regarding provisions of the act and its process of implementation by holding camps at State-Level, Divisional-Level, District-Level and Sub- Divisional Level.
   3. Arranging training programmes for Master Trainers.
   4. Setting up of coordinating machinery amongst different departments.
   5. Fixation of target regarding invitation of claims, enquiry and awarding Patta.

Initiation of the process of implementation: The process of implementation was initiated in February, 2008. It was also decided to constitute concerned committees and start receiving claims. All the Forest Rights Committees in the respective districts except three Hill Sub-Divisions of the Darjeeling District were formed by the stipulated time. A total of 2,819 Forest Rights Committees, 12 District-Level Committees and 33 Sub-Divisional Level Committees were formed.

4. Receiving of claims: Receiving of claims started latest by 31^stJuly, 2008 and was completed on 3110-2008. Lowest tier of the Forest Department, Land & Land Reforms Department, Panchayat & Rural Development Department and the Backward Classes Welfare Department was tagged with the Forest Rights Committees. They and members of the Forest Rights Committees, held camps to facilitate filing of claims. A Block-Level Committee was also set up to monitor the activities of the Forest Rights Committees and to keep a link between the Sub-Divisional Committee and the Forest Rights Committees.

One month's time i.e. from 1^st March 2015 to 31^st March 2015 was given for receiving claims from the forest dwellers if any genuine persons/community whose claims had been lost or were left out or erroneously rejected.

5. Disposal of claims:

1. 1. Claims were filed in all the respective 11 districts i.e. Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Burdwan, Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Hooghly, Murshidabad and Darjeeling upto 31st March 2015 had been disposed off.
   2. Distribution of Patta / Forest Rights: Distribution of Patta up to November, 2017 is given in the Table below:

Total:- Patta distributed:-46,620, Total claims rejected:-95,461; Total disposed off:-1,42,081; Disposal percentage:-100%

• For Darjeeling (except Siliguri Sub-Division) 1144 ST Claims and for Kalimpong 6741 claims have been received during this financial year. Enquiry has been started.

About 43799 pattas have been distributed and no pattas are ready for distribution. As regard distribution of community patta under FRA the figure would stand at about 741 during the period. About 18,525 acres of forest land are brought under the FRA, 2006. However, there are number of cases lying pending for different reasons. Large number of rejection of claims has taken placed for which a study to find out the cause is under consideration.

A state level monitoring committee headed by the Chief Secretary, Govt. of West Bengal is formed for implementation of the process of conversion of forest land to revenue village and modification of LR records.

A task force is being constituted for the above purpose with the following members:

1. Land Reforms Commissioner - Chairman.
2. Principal Secretary, Tribal Development Department- Member.
3. Principal Secretary, Forest Department - Member.
4. Managing Director, WBTDCC (Nodal Officer for FRA) - Convener.

The Forest Right Acts have been translated in Santhali, Bengali and Hindi language for distribution to the District Magistrates, PO cum DWOs / DWOs, Forest Officials and all other stake holders for wide publicity.