NEED A FOREST TRIBUNAL

A tribunal will provide people a dedicated independent forum where they will have a statutory right to approach

- RITWICK DUTTA

DESPITE AIMING to decentralise decision making at the level of the gram sabha, the forest rights Act (FRA) concentrates power in the hands of district level bureaucrats the sub-divisional officer and the district collector/deputy commissioner. To comprehend the issue, it is important to understand the claims-recognition process. The gram sabha initiates the process for both individual and community level claims. It passes a resolution accepting or rejecting a claim. The resolution is then forwarded to the Sub Divisional Level Committee (SDLC) headed by the sub-divisional officer. The SDLC examines it and prepares a record of forest rights. The resolution then goes to the District Level Committee (DLC) headed by the district collector for a final decision. Any one aggrieved by the resolution of the gram sabha can petition the SDLC within 60 days from the date of resolution. The SDLC is required to "consider and dispose of"