Van Panchayats – A Time-Tested Institutional Mechanism That Can Be Used for Implementing the Community Forest Rights Component of the Forest Rights Act, 2006

Uttarakhand’s Van Panchayat system has long been a community-driven model for forest management, allowing local villagers to protect and use forests while maintaining their traditional rights. However, over the years, government policies have gradually reduced the autonomy of these Panchayats, shifting control to the state forest department. The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, offers a chance to restore community forest rights, giving legal authority to villages to manage, conserve, and use their forests. Despite this, Uttarakhand has one of the lowest approval rates for FRA claims, with only 2-5% of claims being recognized. By integrating Van Panchayats into the FRA framework, communities could regain their lost rights, secure their livelihoods, and ensure sustainable forest management.

Introduced in 1931, Van Panchayats initially gave full control to local communities over nearby forests. However, amendments in 1976, 2001, and 2005 took away much of their power, making forest management a bureaucratic process controlled by the forest department. This shift has affected rural communities, limiting their ability to collect minor forest produce, graze livestock, or benefit from forest-based resources. Today, Van Panchayats function more as implementers of government policies than as independent governing bodies.

To truly empower local communities, Van Panchayats should be brought under the FRA, 2006, granting them full authority over their forests. This would restore their traditional rights, enable sustainable livelihoods through forest produce, and mobilize villages to protect and regenerate forests. The report suggests starting this reform in Uttarakhand as a pilot project before expanding it to other mountainous states, creating a stronger, community-led forest governance model for the future.

Keywords: Van Panchayat, Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, Community Forest Rights (CFR), Minor Forest Produce (MFP), Revenue Forest, Gram Sabha, Forest Conservation, Traditional Rights, Uttarakhand, Livelihoods