**Policy Summary: Expansion of Forest Rights Act (FRA) Cells**
**Source:** Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India
**Release Date:** March 23, 2026
**Release ID:** 2243830
**Overview**
The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, informed the Lok Sabha regarding the expansion of Forest Rights Act (FRA) Cells under the "Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan" (DA-JGUA). Launched on October 2, 2024, the Abhiyan is a comprehensive initiative aimed at saturating infrastructural gaps in tribal areas across India.
**Key Program Metrics**
* **Total Interventions:** 25
* **Implementing Partners:** 17 line Ministries
* **Geographical Reach:** 30 States/UTs, covering 549 districts and 2,911 blocks.
* **FRA Cell Provision:** 20 State-level FRA Cells and 443 District-level FRA Cells.
**Integrated Project Monitoring Unit (PMU)**
The Ministry has established an Integrated PMU to oversee FRA-related activities within the DA-JGUA framework. These units serve as "one-stop" centers for coordination and policy implementation.
**Staffing Structure**
* **State Level (4 Experts):** Livelihood Expert, FRA Expert, MIS Expert, and Project Associate.
* **District Level (2 Experts):** FRA Expert and MIS Expert.
**Implementation and Coordination**
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has conducted review meetings with State Governments and UT Administrations to facilitate the rollout of these units. These discussions focused on addressing stakeholder queries and aligning existing FRA Cells with the newly proposed Integrated PMUs to ensure effective monitoring and infrastructure development.
Key Entities Referenced
Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA): An initiative launched to saturate infrastructural gaps in 549 districts and 2,911 blocks across 30 States/UTs through 25 targeted interventions.
Forest Rights Act (FRA): The primary legislation governing tribal forest rights, whose implementation and monitoring are being strengthened through expanded cells and monitoring units.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The central ministry responsible for establishing Integrated Project Monitoring Units (PMUs) and coordinating the expansion of FRA Cells across states.
Integrated Project Monitoring Unit (PMU): Specialized units established at State and District levels to monitor FRA-related activities and facilitate effective policy implementation.
FRA Cells: State and District-level organizational units being expanded and integrated with PMUs to support the effective administration of the Forest Rights Act.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
EXPANSION OF FRA CELLS
Posted On: 23 MAR 2026 2:15PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey today informed Lok Sabha that
hon'ble Prime Minister has launched Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan on 2nd October, 2024.
The Abhiyan comprises of 25 interventions implemented by 17line Ministries and aims to saturate
infrastructural gaps in 549 districts and 2,911 blocks in 30 States/UTs. Under the DA-JGUA, a provision
of 20 State-level FRA Cells along with 443 District-level FRA Cells is made.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has decided to establish an Integrated Project Monitoring Unit (PMU),
including an expert on Forest Rights Act (FRA), to monitor FRA-related activities in all DAJGUA States
and Districts. Under the proposed structure, four experts are envisaged at the State Level - namely
Livelihood Expert, FRA Expert, MIS Expert, and Project Associate. At the District Level, two experts are
proposed- FRA Expert and MIS Expert. These units will function as one-stop Project Monitoring Units to
facilitate effective monitoring and coordination of activities, and to support policy implementation of the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the States and Districts.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in its review meetings, has held discussions with representatives of the
State Governments/UT Administrations regarding the implementation of the Integrated Project Monitoring
Unit (PMU). During these meetings, a session was also conducted to address queries of the States/UTs and
to deliberate on aligning and integrating the existing FRA Cells with the proposed Integrated Project
Monitoring Units (PMUs).
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