<h3>Overview</h3>
<p>The Chhattisgarh government notified a two‑tier <span class="key-term" data-definition="Task force – a temporary body created to coordinate and monitor specific policy actions; here it is meant to fast‑track forest‑rights laws (GS2: Polity)">task force</span> on 6 May 2026 to speed up the implementation of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Forest Rights Act, 2006 – legislation that recognises the rights of forest‑dwelling communities over forest land and resources (GS2: Polity)">Forest Rights Act (FRA)</span> and the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 – law extending panchayat institutions to tribal areas, giving them powers over local governance (GS2: Polity)">Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA)</span>. The move has drawn sharp criticism from tribal‑rights activists and the opposition, who argue that the body bypasses statutory institutions and favours organisations linked to the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Sangh Parivar – umbrella term for groups affiliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, often influencing policy and grassroots mobilisation (GS4: Ethics/Polity)">Sangh Parivar</span>.</p>
<h3>Key Developments</h3>
<ul>
<li>May 6 2026: Chhattisgarh issues notification for an 18‑member apex body headed by the <strong>Chief Minister</strong> and a 12‑member implementation body led by the <strong>Chief Secretary</strong>.</li>
<li>The apex body will map potential areas for community forest‑resource claims, review pending claims, and design strategies for PESA‑related matters.</li>
<li>Activist group <strong>Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD)</strong> says the structure mirrors a similar set‑up in Madhya Pradesh (Nov 2024) and may be replicated in Odisha.</li>
<li>Critics allege that representatives of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Sangh Parivar – umbrella term for groups affiliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, often influencing policy and grassroots mobilisation (GS4: Ethics/Polity)">Sangh Parivar</span>-linked <strong>Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM)</strong> and <strong>ABVKA</strong> are being placed in the decision‑making chain.</li>
<li>Union Home Minister <strong>Amit Shah</strong> praised Madhya Pradesh’s “model of PESA implementation” as a “gold standard” on 24 May 2026.</li>
<li>Opposition leader <strong>Jairam Ramesh</strong> (Congress) called the task forces a subversion of democratic implementation mechanisms on 2 June 2026.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Facts</h3>
<p>Under the FRA and PESA, several statutory bodies exist: the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Gram Sabha – village assembly of all adult members, the constitutional body for decision‑making in tribal areas under PESA (GS2: Polity)">Gram Sabha</span>, the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Forest Rights Committee – statutory committee at the village level that processes forest‑rights claims under FRA (GS2: Polity)">Forest