Shimla
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi today chaired a meeting to review the effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 in Shimla district. He assessed the progress of cases under the Act and directed officials to ensure that benefits reach all eligible beneficiaries in a time-bound and transparent manner.
The Minister instructed officers to expedite the processing of FRA-related cases and emphasized that coordinated and proactive efforts were essential for successful implementation. He said the FRA is a significant welfare measure and its effective execution is a shared responsibility of all concerned departments.
During the meeting, he took feedback from the Sub-Divisional Officers of Rohru, Jubbal, Chopal, Shimla Rural, and Kupvi regarding the status of FRA cases. He directed officials to work with a clear roadmap to ensure that most pending cases are addressed by March 2026.
It was informed that Shimla district has received a total of 262 individual and community claims at the Gram Sabha level so far. Of these, 196 cases have been forwarded by the Forest Rights Committees to the Sub-Divisional Level Committees.
The Minister also reviewed the institutional framework under the Act and was informed that 2,266 Forest Rights Committees have been constituted across the district. These include 277 in Chopal, 9 in Dodra-Kwar, 129 in Jubbal, 215 in Kotkhai, 53 in Kupvi, 154 in Kumarsain, 216 in Rampur, 170 in Rohru, 473 in Shimla Rural, 19 in Shimla Urban, 180 in Sunni, and 371 in Theog.
A detailed presentation was made on the Forest Rights Act. It was highlighted that the Act provides for the recognition of land and forest rights of Scheduled Tribes and other eligible individuals or communities who have been residing primarily on forest land for at least three generations prior to December 13, 2005, and were dependent on forests or forest land for their genuine livelihood needs.
Additional Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, along with all SDMs of the district, tehsildars, forest officers, and other revenue officials were present in the meeting.
