01.03.23
Successful Filing of Community Forest Resource Rights Claims in Simdega, Jharkhand
Our team began stakeholder engagement in Simdega in September 2022. We planned the scaling of CFRR claims across 175 pilot villages in Jaldega, Kolebira, and Bano blocks of Simdega district. Three multi-stakeholder, block-level meetings were conducted to define the roles of each stakeholder and establish baseline monitoring indicators.
On 26 October 2022, Mr Sandip Chowdhury, IoFE’s National Coordinator, met Mr K Srinivasan, Welfare Secretary of Jharkhand, in Ranchi. They discussed adopting the Android mobile application ‘RatiFi’ for the CFRR claim-filing process in Jharkhand. Mr Srinivasan endorsed its inclusion, citing uniform access to evidentiary documents and rapid scalability. The application is currently available on Google Play and supports multiple use cases within the forestry service.
A subsequent meeting with Mr Deepak Lakra and Mr Srinivasan focused on our progress in Simdega’s pilot villages and the potential for statewide expansion. The discussion covered the self-help group (SHG) architecture supported by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), the credit system, the sale of sal seeds, and mechanisation possibilities. They advised completing CFRR claims in 10–20 pilot villages of Simdega before scaling further. We therefore selected 15 villages across three panchayats in Bano block for fast-track claim generation and agreed to hold regular online progress meetings.
From 20 January 2023, we began form-filling in six villages under the Bintuka panchayat and reviewed the process of uploading completed forms on RatiFi. The process was then expedited across the remaining villages in the three panchayats: Simhatu, Bera Erge, and Bintuka. Missing digital Khatian (‘Record of Rights’) records and CFRR maps were either sourced from the Bano block office or created by our technology team.
In mid-February 2023, we shared feedback on RatiFi’s efficacy and user experience with Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director of BIPP–ISB, and incorporated his suggestions. We then tested the revised approach with the ground mobilisation cadre of JSLPS. Meanwhile, field-level activities continued, including Forest Rights Committee (FRC) formation, map creation, evidence document collection, and work allocation to newly inducted FRC members. Interns were trained to use the updated forms, and a strategy was developed to accelerate all related processes.
Finally, on 27 February 2023, we submitted six CFRR claims from the Bintuka panchayat to the Circle Inspector at the Revenue Department in Bano Block. He requested revisions and shared copies of the Gairmajurwa Jungle Jhadi Vivran Prapatra III, the official description form for ‘uncultivated forest land’. This document will support claim preparation across all Bano block villages and strengthen the nine pending claims.
The successful pilot of CFRR claim filing in the Bano block demonstrates the efficacy of our participatory model and digital tools in securing CFRR. This achievement paves the way for statewide replication and strengthens community stewardship of forest resources across Jharkhand.
