After backlash, forest dept withdraws controversial letter on Forest Rights Act

The letter addressed at least seven points, including the broad application of Other Traditional Forest Dweller (OTFD), which is risky in the Himachal context, the quasi-judicial nature of the FRA, etc.

Written by Saurabh Parashar

Chandigarh | April 18, 2025 11:29 AM IST

2 min read

Forest dept withdraws controversial letter on Forest Rights Act

Revenue and Tribal Minister Jagat Singh Negi told The Indian Express that the forest department has withdrawn the letter. (Source: ANI)

The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department has withdrawn its controversial letter with the subject “some critical issues and existing provisions” about the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, issued on April 11 to the Deputy Commissioners and Forest officers up to the ranks of Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs), after a backlash from environmentalists and activists and put it in abeyance on Friday.

The development came after the intervention of Revenue and Tribal Minister Jagat Singh Negi, who called Himachal Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sameer Rastogi and Additional PCCF Pushpinder Rana to his office on Friday.

Negi told The Indian Express, “I took up with them concerns raised by the environmentalists, activists related to the OTFD. I expressed my dissatisfaction with the letter issued by PCCF office. The forest department has withdrawn the letter.”

On Thursday, Rastogi told The Indian Express that the latter would be reviewed in the view of objections and concerns raised by the activists.

Besides two dozen organisations working for environment and tribal affairs, senior CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat too demanded the revocation of the letter.

She wrote a letter to CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on April 15. “There must be a clear distinction between traditional forest dependence and post-encroachment commercial activities…,” the withdrawn letter reads.

Saurabh Parashar

Saurabh Parashar is a journalist with The Indian Express, where he primarily covers developments in Himachal Pradesh. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2017 and has earlier worked with The Times of India. He has 17 year + experience in the field of print journalism. An alumnus of Government College for Men, Sector 11, (Panjab University), Chandigarh, Saurabh holds a Diploma in Journalism from Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Chandigarh. He pursued his Master’s in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar. In addition, he completed his law degree from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. ... Read More

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forest forest rights act Himachal Pardesh