India, June 17 -- These are questions of fact, which can be adjudicated upon through a merit review, as opposed to judicial review. Unlike courts, a tribunal will provide people a dedicated independent forum where they will have a statutory right to approach. The tribunal will be bound to hear them and pass orders.

(Ritwick Dutta is a Delhi-based environmental lawyer and founder of Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment) DESPITE AIMING to decentralise decision making at the level of the gram sabha, the forest rights Act (FRA) concentrates power in the hands of district level bureaucrats-the sub-divisional officer and the district collector/ deputy commissioner. To comprehend the issue, it is important to understand the claims-recogn...