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Chhattisgarh Forest Department’s Pledge: Sustainable Forest Management through Integration of Traditional Knowledge and Legal Rights
Raipur, July 3, 2025 – Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department has played an active, constructive, and commendable role in recognizing and distributing both individual and community forest resource rights. The state stands among the national leaders in this regard. So far, 4,78,641 individual rights and 4,349 Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) titles have been distributed in the state, granting legal rights over a total area of 20,06,224 hectares—empowering millions of forest-dwelling families. This accomplishment reflects the state’s administrative dedication, transparency, and strong commitment to sustainable development.
During CFRR implementation, in the absence of module-based management plans and detailed guidelines, the department had issued only one advisory to field officials. Its aim was to ensure that community management plans are scientifically aligned with the National Working Plan Code, 2023. This advisory was necessary to prevent inconsistencies in on-ground implementation due to the lack of a clear framework, which could have led to potential ecological damage, conflict with approved plans, and disputes between communities and the department. While some organizations and gram sabhas viewed the advisory as an attempt to limit their rights, the department clarified that its intent was only to ensure transparent, sustainable, and legally sound forest management preparation.
A letter issued on May 15, 2025, was an interim procedural directive stating that only approved plans should be implemented until the model plan is released. This letter erroneously referred to the Forest Department as the “nodal agency” instead of the intended term “coordinator”—a typographical error that was officially corrected via a circular on June 23, 2025. In view of the confusion caused by these documents, both were withdrawn on July 3, 2025, as per the instructions of Forest and Climate Change Minister Mr. Kedar Kashyap.
To further strengthen CFRR implementation, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department has formally requested the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, to promptly release model community management plans and detailed implementation guidelines aligned with the National Working Plan Code, 2023. Additionally, it has been requested that a comprehensive training module/handbook be developed for gram sabha representatives and all stakeholders.
The Chhattisgarh Forest Department reiterates that CFRR implementation in the state has been carried out with full transparency, scientific approach, and participatory methods, and it remains firmly committed to continuing the conservation and management of community forest resources with deep respect for traditional knowledge.
