Centre Plans Funding Support for Gram Sabha–Led Forest Management Under FRA

Centre Explores Funding Support for Community-Led Forest Management Under FRA

The Union government is examining measures to reinforce community-led forest governance by enabling financial support for Community Forest Resource (CFR) management committees constituted under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The initiative is being discussed jointly by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) , with the objective of empowering gram sabhas that hold legally recognised forest management rights.

Inter-Ministerial Consultations on Gram Sabha Empowerment

Senior officials from both ministries have recently held consultations to explore mechanisms for extending financial assistance to CFR-holding gram sabhas. The Tribal Affairs Ministry is expected to formally approach the Environment Ministry seeking support for operationalising community forest management.

Officials indicated that the effort also aims to address long-standing perceptions that forest bureaucracy is resistant to decentralised conservation, and instead promote collaborative governance between communities and forest authorities within the FRA framework.

Community Forest Resource Rights Under the Forest Rights Act

Enacted nearly two decades ago, the Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises the customary and livelihood rights of Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers. A key provision of the Act is Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights , which empower gram sabhas to protect, regenerate, conserve and sustainably manage forest areas traditionally used by them.

Once recognised, these rights are formalised through FRA titles , legally vesting forest governance authority in local communities rather than external agencies.

CFR Management Committees and Planning Framework

In 2023, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs issued guidelines detailing how forests under CFR rights should be managed. These guidelines require gram sabhas to constitute CFR management committees , which function under the direct authority of the community.

The committees are tasked with preparing community-led conservation and management plans , which are later aligned with the working plan codes of the Environment Ministry. This ensures ecological consistency while preserving community control over forest decision-making.

Financial Needs and Institutional Safeguards

Officials acknowledged that CFR management committees require sustained funding to operate effectively. Financial support is needed for:

• Hiring technical and field staff

• Preparing conservation and management plans

• Training community members in forest governance and monitoring

At the same time, the Centre is considering safeguards to ensure that any funding routed through the Environment Ministry does not dilute gram sabha authority or allow forest management to revert to departmental control. Maintaining community leadership in planning and implementation remains a core principle.

Key Exam-Focused Points

• The Forest Rights Act, 2006 recognises Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights.

• Gram sabhas are the legal authorities for managing CFR areas.

• CFR management committees were formalised through 2023 guidelines .