PESA and FRA Task Force Meeting Completed

PESA and FRA Task Force Meeting Completed Water, forest, land will be better managed Raipur, in the scheduled tribal area of Chhattisgarh, under the Panchayat Scheduled Area Extension Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act, coordinated work will be done for the better management of shared water-forest resources in the interest of forest dwellers. In this regard, today at the Ministry Mahadevi Bhawan, the meeting of the PESA and FRA Task Force Committee was concluded under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Shri Vikasshil. In the meeting, directions were given to departmental officials for better management of water, forest, land resources in the state of Chhattisgarh and implementation of schemes for forest dwellers. He said that all eligible persons should be given forest resource rights certificates as per the Forest Rights Act. The Chief Secretary gave directions to officials regarding the implementation of the Forest Rights Act and PESA law. In the task force meeting, information on the status of Chhattisgarh Panchayat provisions (extension to scheduled areas) rules, provisions and implementation was presented. Similarly, under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, the status of resolved and pending claims and applications in the state was reviewed. The meeting provided information on the progress in recognizing rights for the protection and management of community forest resources and the conversion of forest villages into revenue villages. Information on the implementation of the Scheduled Tribe and other traditional forest dwellers (recognition of forest rights) Acts was presented. Likewise, the Panchayat and Rural Development Department gave a presentation on the implementation of the Chhattisgarh PESA rules. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary of Forest and Climate Change Department Shri Manoj Kumar Pingua, Additional Chief Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department Mrs. Richa Sharma, PCCF Mr. Arun Pandey, Principal Secretary of Tribal Development Department Mr. Sonmani Bora, Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Department Mrs. Shammah Abidi and other forest department officials. Officials from various districts, including collectors, joined the meeting via video conference.