Claims to be invited from June; land rights to be granted by November
Shimla – People living on forest land in Himachal Pradesh will now be eligible for land leases under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, but they will not have the right to sell these lands. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said that the leases will legalize their use of forest land for livelihood activities such as farming, gardening, and animal husbandry.
The state government has started granting forest rights leases and will invite claims in June. The allotment of leases is scheduled for November. Only those families whose three generations have been residing on forest land before December 13, 2005, and who are dependent on it for their livelihood, will be eligible.
“This initiative does not aim to promote encroachment, but to provide rightful access to those genuinely dependent on forest land for survival,” said Negi. “A time-bound mechanism is being adopted to ensure that eligible claimants get benefits within the legal framework.”
Multi-Stage Verification Process
The process will begin with Gram Sabhas inviting claims in June. These claims will be verified by the Forest Rights Committees along with forest and revenue officials. Approved claims will be forwarded to sub-division level committees in July for further scrutiny. Incomplete or incorrect applications will be returned to Gram Sabhas for revision.
District level committees will receive finalised claims in August for evaluation. Claims lacking documentation will be forwarded to the state-level monitoring committee. Verified claims will be processed, and corresponding entries will be made in revenue records.
In September, pending or newly received claims will undergo re-verification. A second phase of claim assessments will follow in October. The final review and approval of remaining claims by district committees is scheduled for November, after which leases will be formally issued.
To streamline the application process, the state will soon launch a dedicated FRA mobile app and helpline number. Additionally, specific FRA Weeks will be observed to accelerate claim verification and processing.
The Forest Rights Act was passed during the UPA regime in 2006 and received Presidential assent the same year. It came into effect on January 1, 2008, with the goal of recognizing the rights of forest-dwelling communities.
Officials from the forest, revenue, Panchayati Raj departments, and FRA committees at various levels will receive detailed operational guidelines this month to ensure uniform implementation.
