Milindthatte on FRA

Forests, people, and livelihood(A study on post-FRA scenario)

by Milind Thatte

1contact author at [email protected] | Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

Contents

Background

Survey

Findings

Issues


Background

FRA – a revolutionary step towards decentralised governance of forests

My involvement at grass-root level See http://vayamindia.wordpress.com

Perceptions of urban friends (environmentalists) and attitude of the Government administration

Need for understanding the impact of FRA

Need to orient the people towards decentralised governance and inclusive development


http://vayamindia.wordpress.com/

Survey

Objective: ◦ to find out the awareness and perceptions of forest-

dwelling people about the Forest Rights Act and about forest

◦ to understand people’s perceptions about the availability of forest produce and livelihood options

Sample◦ 10 villages in MP (Khandwa & Burhanpur)

◦ 10 villages in Gujarat (Dangs)

◦ 11 villages in Maharashtra (Nandurbar)

Tools ◦ Semi-structured interviews & FGD

◦ Secondary information from EPW, NSSO, Census etc.


Findings – I

about the implementation of FRA

How did people know about the Act?

Who helped in filing individual claims?

Who helped in filing community claims?

What does revenue department think of FRA?


Who helped in filing claims?

Individual claims

Support in filing

individual claims

Number of villages

GJ MP MH

Gramsevak (GP

secretary)

0 3 0

GP members 2 0 0

FRC members 3 4 9

NGO 2 0 2

Political party 0 1 0

Forest Department 2 2 0

Tribal department 1 0 0

Total villages 10 10 11

Community claims

Support in filing

community claims

Number of villages

GJ MP MH

Gramsevak (GP

secretary)

0 3 0

GP members 1 0 0

FRC members 3 0 0

NGO 2 0 1

Political party 0 0 0

FD 0 0 0

Tribal department 0 0 0

Total 6 3 1


Neglect of community rights

Gujarat MP Maharashtra

Number of villages filing individual claims 9 10 11

Number of villages filing community claims 6 3 1

Types of community claims Gujarat MP Maharashtra

Number of claims for public utilities 14 4 4

Number of claims for Nistar (use of NTFP) 10 1 0

Number of claims for IPR on biodiversity 1 0 0


Findings – II

about availability of forest resources

Firewood availability GJ MP MH

High 6 1 1

Medium 2 4 2

Low 2 5 3

Very low 0 0 5

Total 10 10 11

Firewood – alarmingly

low

Timber extinct...

Fodder low in 6 villages

Findings about Chironji,

Mahua, BambooTimber availability GJ MP MH

High 2 0

Medium 0 1 2

Low 3 0 1

Very low 0 4 3

Extinct 0 3 5

8

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Read: http://forestsandpeople.wordpress.com

Findings – III

about livelihood securityWater for farming GJ MP MH

Villages with 50% or more HH having irrigation 0 0 0

Villages with 30 to 49% HH having irrigation 0 3 0

Villages with 15 to 29% HH having irrigation 2 5 1

Villages with less than 15% HH having irrigation 4 2 5

Villages with no HH having irrigation 4 0 5


Work provided by NREGA (or other Govt schemes) GJ MP MH

Villages with 50 or more days of work (per HH per year) 1 3 0

Villages with 15 to 49 days of work (per HH per year) 3 4 2

Villages with less than 15 days of work (per HH per year) 3 1 0

Villages with no work 3 2 9



Issues

Little capacity building of village institutions

Chaos between Revenue and Forest

departments

Heavy bias for individual claims

Neglect of community rights

Resource governance – a long way to go

Instability will continue = extremism may

thrive


Recommendations

1. Training to revenue departmenti. on legal history of forest lands

ii. on concept and application of “community property”

2. GP secretaries need a manual on how to register community rights

3. Government should take a drive for community rights, Sangathans cannot reach every village

4. NREGA works must vigorously follow – in order to improve land, water, and forests

5. Village forests – as buffers to protect core


Recommendations

6. Strategies of re-forestation must

consider people’s perceptions about

scarcity of particular goods

7. It is unfair to ask 75-year old

documentary proof from non-ST forest

dwellers

8. Gramsabhas’ capactiy building is

necessary and people must be trusted by

the Democracy


Milindthatte on FRA

Education

Transcript of Milindthatte on FRA