Land titles under FRA lend dignity to 21 single women
Sundari Huika is happy that her daughter in-law Rupai Huika, with whom she shares a cordial relationship even after her son Sanjay’s death, now owns land. Rupai is one among the 21 single women who received individual land titles under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) on January 7 last year, in tribal-dominated Boriguda village of Rayagada district. This is the first instance of single women gaining such rights anywhere in Odisha.
The FRA passed in 2006 allows tribals and forest dwellers rights over forest resources. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal agency for its implementation.