The Lok Swashasan Andolan, a Madhya Pradesh-level campaign of Adivasi, forest dweller organizations, and other democratic forums, has strongly condemned a letter dated August 6, 2026, issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HOFF) of Madhya Pradesh.
The letter, sent by the Working Plan and Forest Land Records Cell to regional forest officials, directs them to receive and process Community Forest Resource (CFR) claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. The campaign group alleges that this directive is a blatant attempt to bypass the legal process and undermines the authority of Gram Sabhas.
In a formal submission to the Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), the organization has demanded immediate action against the PCCF for "instigating forest officials to violate the law." A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the Director of the FRA division, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), and the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh.
According to the Lok Swashasan Andolan, the PCCF’s letter urges forest officials to contravene the FRA in three specific ways:
(a) Unlawful Receipt of Claims: It directs forest officers to receive CFR claims, whereas only the Gram Sabha is legally authorized to receive all FRA-related claims.
(b) Unauthorized Processing of Claims: It asks officials to process and decide on CFR claims, despite these officers holding no power to do so. The FRA mandates that Gram Sabhas consolidate, verify, and approve claims; the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC) examines them; and the District Level Committee (DLC) issues titles.
(c) Ignoring Statutory Evidence Rules: It instructs officials to process claims by ignoring Rule 13(2) of the FRA, which specifies the list of evidence required to determine a CFR area. The complaint asserts that deciding the applicability of CFR rights is already clarified under Section 2(d) of the Act.
The Andolan argues that the PCCF and the Forest Department have no legal standing concerning the FRA at the state level. "The Madhya Pradesh Tribal Department is the only department in the state that has a role in FRA as the nodal department to implement FRA," the complaint states. It further notes that the power to interpret and issue directions on the FRA is vested exclusively with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), as per Sections 11 and 12 of the FRA and the Government of India (Allocation of Business Rules) 1961.
The letter, signed by Rajesh Kanoje, Hari Singh Maravi, and other representatives of the Andolan, points out that the PCCF is a member of the State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC), and any matter related to FRA falls within the SLMC's scope. "Issuing such a letter is an affront to the authority of the SLMC of which he is a member," the complaint reads.
The organization has also criticized the response from Minister of State Durgadas Uike, calling the "casual reconsideration request made to CM Mohan Yadav" as appalling and unacceptable. "The lack of concrete action and proceeding against the PCCF of MP by MoTA is unacceptable," the group stated, adding that the PCCF deliberately spread misinformation to obstruct the implementation of a law enacted by Parliament.
Demands
The Lok Swashasan Andolan has put forward two primary demands:
1. Suspension of the MP PCCF and HoFF (Working Plan and Forest Land Records Cell) who issued the letter, and further appropriate action against him for instigating other forest officials to violate the law.
2. Withdrawal of the "anti-constitution and illegal" letter of 06.08.2026 on CFR Rights issued by the PCCF and HoFF.
The organization views the PCCF’s actions as a violation of the constitutional mandate, the rule of law, and an act of defiance against the Constitution and the state.
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