Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, who shall be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both?

Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers…

Answer

(a) State Forest Department: Incorrect. Under the Forest Rights Act, the Forest Department is not the authority to initiate the claims process.
(b) District Collector/Deputy Commissioner: Incorrect. The District Level Committee examines and approves records, but it does not initiate the process.
(c) Tahsildar/Block Development Officer/Mandal Revenue Officer: Incorrect. These officials may assist administratively, but they are not the statutory authority to start determination of rights.
(d) Gram Sabha: Correct. Section 6 of the FRA, 2006 provides that the Gram Sabha is the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights.