Implementation Status of Forest Rights Act in Western Odisha

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 was meant to give tribal and forest-dwelling communities legal ownership over the land and resources they have used for generations. However, in Western Odisha, the process has been slow and uneven. While Odisha has made progress in granting Individual Forest Rights (IFR), the recognition of Community Forest Rights (CFR) remains shockingly low. Many eligible claims, especially from Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs), have been rejected due to bureaucratic misinterpretation of the law. Additionally, forest-dependent communities struggle with poor market access for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and are often forced to sell at exploitative prices. Those who have received land titles under FRA still don’t have them integrated into revenue records, meaning they miss out on essential farming benefits like crop loans and government subsidies.

The FRA, 2006 was designed to fix historical injustices, giving people a legal claim over the forests they rely on. In Odisha, over 4.45 lakh individual claims have been approved, yet community rights recognition is abysmally low. The situation is worse in Western Odisha—a region that includes Balangir, Kalahandi, and Sundargarh—where fewer claims are recognized, leaving many people in limbo.

Bureaucratic red tape, lack of awareness, and poor coordination between departments. OTFDs, in particular, face unfair rejection because they are asked for proof of land occupation spanning three generations—a requirement that does not exist in the law. Meanwhile, villagers still depend on middlemen who control MFP prices, keeping them trapped in poverty.

Western Odisha needs fairer claim processing, better awareness programs, market access for MFPs, and proper land title integration to ensure that people truly benefit from the rights they were promised under the FRA.

Keywords: Forest Rights Act (FRA), Western Odisha, Individual Forest Rights (IFR), Community Forest Rights (CFR), Tribal Communities, Minor Forest Produce (MFP), Land Ownership, Van Sanrakshan Samiti (VSS), Livelihoods, Biodiversity Conservation, Balangir, OTFD