AARM Opposes Centre's Joint Letter on Community Forest Resources, Alleges Dilution of Gram Sabha Powers

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 6, 2026

The Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM) has strongly opposed a recent joint communication issued by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), alleging that it undermines the constitutional and legal authority of Gram Sabhas over Community Forest Resources (CFRs) under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA).

In a press statement issued on August 6,

ARMS said the joint letter, dated July 28, was addressed to the Chief Secretaries of all FRA-implementing States and Union Territories regarding the "protection, conservation and sustainable management of Community Forest Resources." According to the organisations

National Coordinator

Dr. Pulin Behari Baske and

Chairperson Jitendra Chaudhury, the new instructions replace the legally recognised role of Gram Sabhas with a bureaucratic administrative mechanism at the state level.

The organisation argued that while the letter refers to "facilitating" Gram Sabhas, it directs state governments to prepare action plans with defined timelines and oversee the preparation and implementation of Community Forest Resource Management Plans (CFRMPs), including convergence of funds from various central and state schemes. AARM contends that these provisions effectively transfer decision-making authority from Gram Sabhas to state administrative agencies.

Highlighting the implementation status of the Forest Rights Act, AARM stated that out of 1,79,422 Community Forest Resource claims, only 1,24,189 have been approved, while approximately 57,000 claims remain pending or have been rejected. The organisation also alleged that recent policy developments, including amendments to forest-related laws and environmental clearance provisions, indicate a growing trend towards facilitating corporate access to forest lands. It claimed that the legal powers of Gram Sabhas under the FRA and PESA remain a key safeguard against such developments.

Describing the July 28 communication as a further erosion of tribal rights, AARM demanded that the joint letter be withdrawn immediately. The organisation also announced that it plans to organise a major demonstration of Adivasi communities in New Delhi in September to protest what it described as the Modi government's betrayal of the constitutional and legal rights of tribal people.

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