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Recognition of Development Rights under the FRA, 2006
Recognition and respect for basic services under Section 3.2 of the Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is an important concern for local development, and livelihood improvement. This article discusses how forest diversion for local basic services through an integrated approach anchored by state and local institutions has produced tangible benefi ts for local communities and forest conservation in the study areas.
The author is thankful to the offi cers of forest and tribal department of Kerala for sharing relevant information during the fi eldwork in Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram.
While there has been a nationwide campaign and demand for the implementation of individual forest and community forest rights, there have been few attempts to demand and assess the implementation of the development rights recognised under Section 3.2 of the Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act (FRA), 2006. In this context, the recognition of a record number of 657 development rights in Kerala stands out from the rest of the country. The state has recognised 83% of the claimed development rights under the FRA, 2006. Most of the other states are yet to recognise development rights. In the states that do so, like in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, the recognised development rights have not been translated into action at the grassroots level. In this article, I highlight the status and process of implementation of development rights envisaged under the FRA and then explain the contributing factors that determined the enforcement of development rights in Kerala. The discussion is based on a survey of eight tribal hamlets in two districts of Kerala—Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad—and discussion with gram sabha members, tribal and forest officers in September–October 2021.
Development Rights under the FRA
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