Centre Sanctions FRA Cells to Boost Tribal Rights

Centre Sanctions FRA Cells to Boost Tribal Rights

Why in the News ?

For the first time since FRA 2006, the Union Government has sanctioned over 300 FRA cells under the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyaan to assist with claim facilitation and data management, aiming to improve implementation across 18 States and UTs.

New Institutional Support for FRA Implementation:

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 324 district-level FRA cells and 17 state-level cells under DAJGUA.
• These will facilitate paperwork and data for FRA claims without interfering with core statutory bodies like Gram Sabhas and DLCs.
• It’s the first direct structural support from the Centre in the 19 years since FRA’s enactment.

DAJGUA Framework and Funding

• DAJGUA, launched in October 2024, includes 25 interventions from 17 ministries across 68,000 tribal villages.
• The FRA cells aim for quick disposal of pending claims — 14.45% of 11 lakh claims remain pending (as of March 2025).
• Each district FRA cell is allotted ₹8.67 lakh; state-level cells receive ₹25.85 lakh, funded by Grants-in-aid General.

Concerns and Implementation Status

• Activists fear a “parallel structure” undermining FRA’s statutory process.
• Government clarifies FRA cells are only supportive, not decision-making bodies.
• Highest cells sanctioned in Madhya Pradesh (55), followed by Chhattisgarh (30), and Telangana (29).
• States like Assam (60%) and Telangana (50%) still show high pendency of claims.