Securing Ancestral Rights: Villagers Learn to Claim Forest Land in a one day FRA workshop
A one-day workshop on the Forest Rights Act (FRA) was organized at Janedghat Gram Panchayat in Junga Tehsil, bringing together more than 80 committee officials from nine panchayats.
Presiding over the workshop, Tehsildar Kartikeya Sharma explained that families or villages with possession of forest land for at least three generations before December 13, 2005, can present their cases through the Forest Rights Committee to the Gram Sabha. The Gram Sabha then has the authority to confirm individual or collective rights. He emphasized that cultivated forest land should not exceed one hectare and that claims can be made both individually and collectively.
Sharma outlined the process: FRA cases will be submitted to the Tehsildar and SDM for verification, and once confirmed, forwarded to the government through the Deputy Commissioner for action. He urged officials to spread awareness in their areas and ensure claims are presented within the given timeframe so that families depending on forest land can secure their rights without delay.
This workshop marks an important step in empowering villagers to protect their ancestral ties to forest land, ensuring that generations of cultivation and community use are formally recognized and safeguarded.
