100 Odisha Villages to Receive Direct Funding for Forest Protection under CFR Plans Approved by Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MOTA).
National
In January 2025, the Project Appraisal Committee (PAC) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MOTA) approved Community Forest Resource (CFR) plans for 100 villages in phase-I under the Forest Right (FRA) Act, 2006. This number is fewer than the Odisha government's proposal to implement it in 400 villages across the state.
- With this approval, 100 villages in Odisha will receive funds directly in the bank accounts of Gram Sabhas instead of Gram Panchayats for the first time, enabling them to carry out forest protection, management, and convergence works in their respective community lands.
- The state government will receive Rs 16 crore for the development and execution of CFR management plans for 100 villages, with priority given based on the availability of Minor Forest Produce (MFP), preparedness of the plans, community and gram sabha participation, and the establishment of Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
- Gram Sabhas of villages will be entrusted with the responsibility to carry out tree plantation and prepare need-based development plans.
Main Point :- (i) Each village will receive Rs 15 lakh per annum, which will be directly deposited into the bank account of the respective gram sabha. Additionally, technical agencies will receive Rs 1 lakh for developing management plans.
(ii) CFR management plans have been proposed in various districts of the state: Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Dhenkanal, and Bargarh.
(iii) As per MoTA, Maharashtra topped among states in recognizing Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR), with 8,661 villages granted titles as of November 2024, followed by Chhattisgarh (with 4,328 titles), and Odisha (with 3,659 titles).
About Odisha
Chief minister: Mohan Charan Majhi
Governor: Hari Babu Kambhampati
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