Forest Land Rights

Towards Proper Implementation Of FRA (Land Rights)

As a result of the continuous efforts of our Organization there is some breakthrough in the land rights. Seba Jagat would continue to bring about substantive changes in the operation of FRA, NREGS in two district of most backward region of Orissa-, however has great cultural, climatic and geographical potential for development - given the right political and economic environment. the food security of poor and vulnerable people is an issue attracting increasing regional and national attention, but progress has been slow. It needs strengthening local governance and advocacy for women's collective action.

Seba Jagat would also help in creating space within adivasi communities to access information require for the need and deliberate. Seba Jagat would make sincere effort to organize women especially in its operational areas to put pressure on the existing service delivery mechanism. As women take greater share of family burden it is also visualize incapacitating these women towards exercising their choices.

Seba Jagat would try to gather support and cooperation from fellow civil society organizations/groups towards capacity building. While encouraging people to raise their voices Seba Jagat would help communities come out with best possible local solutions to the problems through micro-level planning. Micro level plans prepared would give scope to villagers for bargaining out maximum benefits out of different antipoverty, social security schemes.

How we proceed

  • Organized Staff and community leaders orientation on FRC.
  • At village level FRC members are identified.
  • Village level sensitization of FRC members is organised.
  • Development of Form A & B.
  • Distribution of Form A & B at Panchayat level.
  • Identification of volunteers and after orientation they are in field to help community to collect evidence and fill up form.
  • Volunteers are given responsibility and they have gone to the hilly area.
  • Identification of unsurveyed village and Forest village i.e. Jurakhaman, Bimlapadar giving special effort for them.
  • Evidence collection at village level.
  • Collection of caste certificate from Panchayat.
  • Discussion with Tahasil office for providing village map.
  • Lobby and advocacy at district and state level.
  • Assuring participation of traditional Adivasi sanghas.

Status Of FRA

Name of the Block No of Individual Claim No of HH got Certificate No of community claim Submitted No of community Claim entitelment
M.Rampur 3414 616 207 2
Lanjigarh 765 318 18 -
Narla 2106 470 123 -
Baliguda 2100 756 15 -
Total 7485 2160 363 2

Story

A distance Dream : Green Governance means total independence over the forest resources. Community is the sole owner on CFR(Community Forest Rights) the rights should be vested to the community envisages as per the FRA-2006. Therefore, our advocacy is mainly focus on the issues of resource rights and ownership through larger focus on forest resource governance by the local community and their institutions. The opportunities for such intervention through the local institutions would be on effective implementation of FRA have been promulgated to protect customary rights over community forests resources. Securing CFR is now the utmost work for different civil societies, Gram Sabha and grass root level CBOs, they have strongly raise their voices in different forums and several memorandums have been send to various stake holders who are dealing with the same. The focus is on peoples institutions as it is almost a foregone conclusion that leaving resource monitoring exclusively into the hands of the state has not been a very happy and successful experience. Our intention is to make the local community and their institutions more vibrant and vigilant in tune to recognizing their fundamental rights to access and control over their own CFR. Therefore, we are trying to establish decentralized forest governance i.e. community ownership over Community Forest Resources.

We have taken initiatives to develop a frame work for establishing a Green/Forest Governance by the local community over their local natural resources. This frame work will guide them for conservation and management of their own resources. This document will support the local community to access their boundary area, flora and fauna, wild life habitation etc. This tool helps them to develop a prospective plan of the forest where they can assume the ecological health of the forest on based upon their livelihood needs. Experience shows that community led institution sustain in a better way and their approach in conservation, management growth the natural resources in a tremendous manner. It will become easier to establishing a model of green governance in collaboration of both traditional forest knowledge and scientific knowledge. Here we want to address that community is the best manager of its own resources, and the rights should be recognized and vested to the local community over their own forest resources. On the eve of 15th August we observed as Green Independence Day in 40 forest fringe villages of 6 tribal districts of Odisha. Memorandums have send by the local institutions to the Governor, Chief Minister, Secretary MOEF, Panchyatiraj, Revenue, SC & ST for recognition of CFR under FRA as soon as possible with consent of Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha. Besides it a course of action have been developed in protection and sustainable use of forest resources.