Bhubaneswar: The successful implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) by the Odisha government has earned appreciation from the Union secretary of the tribal affairs ministry Vibha Puri Das. Member National Advisory Council NC Saxena also praised the State on FRA implementation. They were attending a two-day regional workshop held recently here jointly organised by the ministry of Tribal Affairs and the UNDP. The workshop was also attended by the joint secretary of tribal affairs ministry Dr Sadhana Rout. The state government has already distributed more than 3 lakh pattas and more than 5 lakh acres of land among the tribals and other forest-dwellers in course of implementing the FRA, said chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik. The workshop was also attended by the principal secretaries and secretaries of revenue, forest, tribal affairs and panchayati raj departments of four states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Civil society members and legal experts too participated in the workshop. Rout said this was the first workshop in the series of regional ones planned to be held countrywide in the context of the newly-amended Forest Rights Rules. The new rules are aimed to address the FRA implementation constraints, she said. The state chief secretary informed that about 1 lakh houses have been sanctioned for the people who have received pattas under the schemes like the Indira Awas Yojana and Mo Kudia. Secretary, ST&SC department Santosh Sarangi said the amended rules have an increased focus on ensuring ecological sustainability of forests and livelihood security of the right holders. Different states presented their FRA implementation status, critical areas impeding the implementation and the kind of interventions of the Centre each state needs for effective implementation of the remaining individual rights settlement and the community forest rights settlement. Rout also suggested setting up of a Regional Resource Centre of FRA in Odisha in its Tribal Research Institute and wanted a proposal for it soon.