"The new rules governing the Forest Rights Act (FRA) for empowering scheduled Tribes have been finalised and will be put before Parliament in the first week of Monsoon session... We have introduced 60 changes in the present act after taking into account various factors," Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Panchayati Raj V Kishore Chandra Deo told reporters here.
For enhancing livelihood prospects of forest dwellers, a scheme is also being worked out for ensuring "Minimum Support Price (MSP)" for Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) which will be introduced in the month of January next year, Deo said.
The FRA was first framed in 2006 and its implementation was initiated in 2008.
"FRA will undo the years of injustice done to the tribals as no survey was conducted of the forest after 1927 during the British regime", Deo said.
"During the process of implementation of the Act we came across several factors which needed to be addressed. Joint Committees were formed and the National Advisory Council made certain recommendations. Most of these recommendations have now been accepted," the Minister said.
Ministry of Forest and Environment had also made certain recommendations in the Act.
On the proposed commission to fix MSP for forest produces, Deo said, "We have been talking to Planning Commission for setting up a kind of Commission which will determine support price for forest products." (MORE)
