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Chhattisgarh Retracts CFR Advisory, Centre Reaffirms Gram Sabha Authority

With the directive withdrawn, gram sabhas alongside NGOs can resume community forest management under the Forest Rights Act following state requests for central model plans

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According to the May 15 order, the forest department would oversee the land granted to forest dwellers under FRA provisions, until the central government provided model management plans (Representative photo)
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Overview

  • On July 3, forest minister Kedar Kashyap ordered the formal withdrawal of the May 15 circular and its June corrigendum that had halted all non-forest department community forest resource work.
  • Union Tribal Affairs Ministry officials stated on July 4 that only gram sabhas are empowered to draft Community Forest Resource management plans and that government agencies have a supporting role.
  • The retraction immediately restores field-level CFR planning and conservation activities by gram sabhas, NGOs and private organisations across Chhattisgarh.
  • Chhattisgarh’s government has sought model CFR management templates and detailed guidelines from the central ministries of Tribal Affairs and Environment to align village plans with the National Working Plan Code, 2023.
  • National figures such as Congress leader Jairam Ramesh have warned that safeguarding gram sabha authority is essential to prevent dilution of the Forest Rights Act and protect tribal livelihoods and forest ecosystems.