For decades, forests have been the life source for tribal communities in Odisha. Through the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, these communities are legally entitled to manage and protect their ancestral forests. In 2024–25, CREFTDA continued its committed work to make this right a lived reality across five forest-rich blocks of Mayurbhanj District—Jashipur, Raruan, Sukruli, Karanjia, and Kusumi.

Working in collaboration with the FRA Cell, district administration, and support from FES Bhubaneswar, CREFTDA played a pivotal role in building the capacities of village institutions and enabling communities to claim, manage, and conserve their Community Forest Rights (CFR).

Goals of the Programme

• Secure tenure over forest commons for tribal and forest-dwelling communities.
• Build local capacity for sustainable forest governance.
• Promote community-led conservation, mapping, and planning.
• Enable convergence with government schemes like MGNREGS and NRLM.

Key Interventions

• Capacity Building
  • Trained over 80 Women Cadres, CFRMC leaders, and FRA Cell staff at various levels.
  • Block-level training for Forest Rights Committees (FRCs) and Panchayat representatives to prepare and manage CFR claims.
• CFR Management Plans (CFRMPs)
  • Facilitated the preparation of 100 CFRMPs across target villages.
  • As of March 2025, 52 plans were approved by Gram Sabhas; the rest were in final stages.
  • The first officially approved CFRMP from Maricha Gram Sabha (Raruan block) was a significant milestone.
• Participatory Mapping & Planning
  • Used Community-Led Mapping (CLM), GPS, and participatory tools to identify forest areas.
  • Conducted ecological surveys in biodiversity-rich areas like Chelianal and Gharamabeda.
•  Awareness & Community Mobilization
  • Conducted forest fire prevention campaigns across three blocks.
  • Held regular TMC and SDLC meetings to coordinate between community and government stakeholders.
• Post-Title Engagement
  • Supported Gram Sabhas in developing bylaws for forest conservation and regeneration.
  • Facilitated inclusion of RoR entries, mapping, and resource planning in government records.

Impact & Legacy

The FRA Facilitation Programme is more than a legal process—it is a movement to reclaim dignity, autonomy, and ecological heritage for forest-dependent communities. By empowering people with the knowledge and institutional support to govern their forests, CREFTDA has helped transform them from passive beneficiaries to active stewards of natural resources.

This initiative is not just restoring forest rights—it’s restoring confidence, control, and community resilience.