India, May 15 -- With the Maoist insurgency officially over in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the focus has shifted to the natural resources of this state having 45 per cent forest cover and the rights of tribal ownership over them.

An Indian Forest Service officer stated on condition of anonymity that he had heard claims filed under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) not being approved. The 2006 Act allows tribals and forest-dwellers rights over forest resources through individual and community land titles (pattas).

Chhattisgarh became a pioneer in distributing land titles, especially ones filed under the community forest resource rights or CFRR which gives ownership rights over forests to gram sabhas (village assemblies). In 2022, former chie...