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Guidelines on the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006

Over a period of last four years of implementation of the Act, some problems impeding the implementation of the Act in its letter and spirit have come to the notice of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, such as, convening of Gram Sabha meetings at the Panchayat level resulting in exclusion of smaller habitations not formally part of any village; non-recognition of un-hindered rights over the minor forest produce (MFP) to forest dwellers; non-recognition of other community rights; harassment and eviction of forest dwellers without settlement of their forest rights; rejection of claims by insisting on certain types of evidences, inadequate awareness about the provisions of the Act and the Rules etc. In order to address the above concerns and with a view to ensure effective implementation of the Act, the following guidelines are issued on various aspects of implementation of the Act for compliance by all the State Governments/UT Administrations: Process of Recognition of Rights; Minor Forest Produce; Community Rights; Community Forest Resource Rights; Protection Against Eviction, Diversion of Forest Lands and Forced Relocation; and Awareness-Raising, Monitoring and Grievance Redressal.

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