Forest Protection Assistance (PA) workers are seennside the Similipal Biosphere as they involved for the forest protection and to fight against the forest fire near Chahala forest range in Similipal forest area in Odisha.
| Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
As many as 100 villages located in the forested regions of Odisha are set to receive funds directly in their own bank accounts to carry out forest protection, management and convergence works in respective community lands.
The Project Appraisal Committee (PAC) of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has approved Community Forest Resource (CFR) plans for 100 villages in phase I under Forest Right Act while the Odisha government has proposed to implement it in 400 villages.
“The State has sought funds of ₹64 crore for 400 CFR plans. It was advised by the PAC that CFR plans for 100 villages may be taken in phase-I. Depending on the learnings from these, the CFR projects for other 300 villages may be placed in subsequent years,” the proceeding of PAC meeting stated.
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The PAC approved an amount of ₹16 crore for development and execution of CFR management plans of 100 villages. The States may prioritise these 100 CFR plans depending on minor forest produce available, preparedness of the plans, community and gram sabha participation and set up of self help groups in the area
Gram sabhas of villages will lead in carrying out tree plantation and preparing need-based development plan. While one village will get ₹15 lakh each per annum under this plan the technical agencies will get ₹1 lakh respectively for preparation the management plan.
“This is for the first time in Odisha where fund for development villages will be reaching to bank account of gram sabha in place of gram panchayat. Villagers will be responsible to handle their fund especially in forest areas,” Manohar Chauhan, an expert on implementation of Forest Rights Act, said.
Mr. Chauhan said, “From now on gram sabhas in these villages will handle funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act [MGNREGA]. Earlier, Forest Department was executing MGNREGA in villages near forest areas. Now primary implementing agency will be gram sabha in place of forest department and gram panchayat.”
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He said Vana Surakhya Samiti (VSS) and Eco Development Committees indirectly controlled by Forest Department would no longer exist where villagers would take responsibility of managing CFR plans.
Districts proposed under CFR management plan are Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Dhenkanal, and Bargarh.
According to MoTA, Maharashtra leads in recognising Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR), with 8,661 villages granted titles as of November 2024. Chhattisgarh follows in second place with 4,328 titles (as of September 2024), while Odisha ranks third with 3,659 CFRR titles issued as of August 31, 2024.
Published – January 23, 2025 08:02 pm IST
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