RTI for Assam Forest Department — Rhino/Elephant Poaching Records, Forest Land, FRA Rights and CAMPA Fund Data

Assam is home to one of the most remarkable concentrations of wildlife on Earth. The floodplains of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries shelter the largest surviving population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, a globally endangered species whose survival depends almost entirely on the protected forest areas of Assam and the adjoining Terai. Kaziranga National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — holds over two-thirds of the world's entire rhinoceros population. Manas National Park, another UNESCO Heritage Site, is a stronghold for tigers, Asian elephants, golden langurs, pygmy hogs, and the hispid hare. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, smaller but extraordinarily dense, has the highest concentration of rhinoceros anywhere in the world. Orang National Park on the Brahmaputra's north bank is often called "Mini Kaziranga." Hoollongapar near Jorhat is India's only sanctuary dedicated to the hoolock gibbon. Dibru-Saikhowa in Tinsukia shelters feral horses and Irrawaddy river dolphins in a river island ecosystem unlike any other in the country.

This ecological wealth is inseparable from the Assam Forest Department — the state agency constituted under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, with responsibility for managing over 28,000 square kilometres of classified forests, wildlife sanctuaries, and national parks. The Department is headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) whose office is at Aranya Bhawan, Guwahati, and is administered through a network of Conservators of Forests, Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs), Range Forest Officers (RFOs), and Beat Guards spread across Assam's districts.

As a department of the Government of Assam, the Assam Forest Department is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Citizens, conservationists, researchers, journalists, tribal rights advocates, and affected communities can use RTI to access forest land records, poaching case data, wildlife sanctuary incident reports, Forest Rights Act claim status, CAMPA fund utilisation accounts, human-wildlife conflict compensation records, and timber and NTFP auction data.

Assam's Forest Landscape: Protected Areas and Key Challenges

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Kaziranga National Park sprawls across the Golaghat, Nagaon, Biswanath, and Karbi Anglong districts in a mosaic of tall elephant grass, riverine forest, and wetlands on the Brahmaputra's south bank. Established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1950 and a national park in 1974, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. Kaziranga's rhino population — over 2,600 animals — makes it the single most important site globally for the species' survival. The park also has significant tiger and elephant populations. Poaching, which peaked in the 1990s, has been significantly reduced through intensive patrolling — but rhino horn demand from East Asian markets means the threat remains constant. RTI can reveal how many poaching cases were registered in any given period, arrest rates, conviction rates, and whether confiscated wildlife trophies have been properly inventoried under the WPA.

Manas National Park in Chirang and Baksa districts — bordering Bhutan's Royal Manas National Park — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a core zone of the Manas Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger. Manas suffered severe damage during the Bodo insurgency in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when poaching, encroachment, and destruction of infrastructure severely depleted wildlife populations. Restoration has been painstaking and ongoing. RTI can expose whether wildlife protection infrastructure — guard camps, patrol vehicles, communication equipment — funded through CAMPA and Project Tiger has actually been put in place, and whether staffing levels are adequate.

Orang National Park (Darrang and Sonitpur districts), covering approximately 79 sq km, has a high density of one-horned rhinoceros and is the smallest national park in Assam. Encroachment from surrounding areas and proximity to human settlements make it particularly vulnerable.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Morigaon district) has the highest rhino density globally within its 38 sq km — around 100 rhinoceroses. The sanctuary is surrounded by villages and tea gardens, making human-wildlife conflict a persistent issue.

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Tinsukia district) is a riverine island park protecting feral horses, Gangetic river dolphins, and diverse bird species in the Brahmaputra's braided channel system.

Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary (Jorhat district) is India's only sanctuary for the hoolock gibbon — Asia's only ape species. Isolation of this small sanctuary from larger forest patches creates significant ecological pressure.

Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary (Kamrup Metropolitan district, near Guwahati) is a Ramsar-listed wetland under severe urbanisation pressure.

Annual Flooding and Wildlife Displacement

The Brahmaputra's annual monsoon floods inundate large portions of Kaziranga and other floodplain parks every year. Animals — rhinoceroses, elephants, deer, wild boar — are displaced onto higher ground, often into tea gardens, agricultural fields, and village areas surrounding the parks. This displacement increases the risk of poaching (displaced animals in unprotected areas) and human-wildlife conflict (injured or killed animals and crop damage). RTI can obtain records of flood-season wildlife displacement, number of animals that strayed into non-forest areas, and emergency measures taken by the Forest Department.

Tea Garden–Forest Boundary Disputes

Assam's tea industry — covering roughly 800 large estates and thousands of small growers — operates in close proximity to protected forest areas. The Dooars belt, the Brahmaputra valley char (riverine island) areas, and the foothills zone bordering Bhutan have been sites of contested land tenure where the boundaries of tea garden leases and classified forest land overlap or are disputed. Encroachment by tea estates on buffer zones, and encroachment by non-tribal settlers on char forest areas, are recurring complaints. RTI can obtain DFO records of encroachment cases, eviction notices issued, area restored, and reasons why pending cases have not been resolved.

FRA 2006 Tribal Claims and Forest Conflicts

The Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA 2006) — formally titled the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 — recognises individual and community forest rights of tribal households who have occupied forest land before 13 December 2005. In Assam, FRA implementation has been contentious in tribal-majority regions including Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council area, Dima Hasao, and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). Claims have often been rejected without proper written reasons or field verification, and the Forest Department's role as a party with conflicting interests in the FRA adjudication process has generated complaints. RTI is a direct tool to force transparency in the claim adjudication record.

What RTI Can Obtain from the Assam Forest Department

Poaching Case Records and Action-Taken Reports

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (WPA) Section 9 prohibits hunting of Schedule I and II species — including the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, Asian elephant, and tiger. Section 51 of the WPA provides for penalties. Poaching cases are registered as First Information Reports and investigated by the Forest Department (with the police for serious cases). Records accessible via RTI include:

• The total number of WPA cases registered by forest division or park in a specified period, broken down by species targeted.
• The number of accused arrested, and whether any accused were found in possession of Schedule I wildlife products (rhino horns, elephant ivory, tiger skins, leopard skins) under WPA Section 40/41.
• The number of cases sent to court and the number in which convictions have been obtained, and under which sections of the WPA.
• Action-taken reports on specific pending cases — particularly where a case has been registered but no arrest has been made, or where the accused has not been chargesheeted within the prescribed period.
• Records of arms, ammunition, and equipment seized from poachers.
• Any Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) inspection reports or findings relating to Assam wildlife divisions (noting that the WCCB itself, as a Central Government body, requires a separate RTI).

Forest Land Encroachment Records

• The total area of classified forest land (reserved forest, protected forest, national park buffer zone) in a given forest division that is under recorded encroachment.
• The number of eviction notices issued, the number of demolition / eviction actions actually carried out, and the area restored to forest through these actions.
• The reasons officially recorded for non-execution of eviction orders — whether court stays, administrative delays, or other factors.
• Any boundary demarcation or joint survey proceedings conducted between the Forest Department and the Revenue Department to resolve tea garden–forest boundary disputes.
• Records of encroachment cases filed under the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891, and their current status.

Forest Rights Act 2006 Claim Data

• District-wise or division-wise totals of individual forest rights (IFR) claims received, approved, rejected, and pending under FRA 2006.
• For specific rejected claims: the written order of rejection, the specific provision of the Forest Rights Rules, 2008 under which the rejection was made, and whether a physical field verification was conducted by the Forest Rights Committee before rejection.
• Forest Department objection records: any written objections submitted by the DFO against specific IFR or community forest rights (CFR) claims, and how those objections were handled by the Sub-Divisional Level Committee or District Level Committee.
• Community forest rights (CFR) claim status for specific Gram Sabhas in Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, or the BTR districts.

CAMPA Fund Utilisation Records

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was constituted under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 to manage funds collected as Compensatory Afforestation (CA) money and Net Present Value (NPV) when forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes (infrastructure projects, mining, etc.). The Assam State CAMPA receives a share of funds from the National CAMPA authority and is required to utilise these funds for plantation, wildlife protection, forest infrastructure, and eco-restoration under an Annual Plan of Operations (APO). RTI can obtain:

• Total CAMPA funds received by the Assam Forest Department for each financial year, and division-wise allocation.
• APO details — what activities were sanctioned, at what cost, and in which forest divisions or districts.
• Physical achievement against APO targets — hectares planted, survival rates of plantations, wildlife protection infrastructure created.
• Unspent CAMPA balance — how much of the allocated fund was not utilised in a given year, and the reasons for under-utilisation.
• Audit reports or inspection reports on CAMPA utilisation.

Human-Wildlife Conflict Compensation Records

When elephants, rhinoceroses, leopards, or tigers injure or kill people or destroy crops and property, the state government provides ex-gratia compensation. The Forest Department is the nodal agency for processing these claims. RTI can obtain:

• The number of human-wildlife conflict incidents (deaths, injuries, crop and property damage) reported in a specific forest division for a given period, broken down by species.
• The number of ex-gratia applications received, the number sanctioned, the total compensation amount disbursed, and the number pending with the reasons for pendency.
• The compensation rates applicable under the current government order, and whether any revision of rates is under consideration.
• Any cases where compensation was denied and the grounds for denial.

Timber and NTFP Auction Records

The Forest Department auctions timber, bamboo, cane, and non-timber forest produce (NTFP) in its divisions. These auction records are public accounts of government revenue. RTI can provide:

• Species-wise quantity and quality of timber / bamboo / NTFP put to auction by a specific forest division in a given financial year.
• Auction reserve price, final price realised, and the name or entity of the successful bidder.
• Whether auction revenue was remitted to the state treasury within the prescribed time, and the remittance date.
• Any deviations from the approved auction procedure — post-auction renegotiation, private sales, or auction cancellations.

Where to File Your RTI Application

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) — For Division-Specific or Local Queries

For queries about a specific forest division — encroachment cases, local wildlife incidents, NTFP auction records, locally registered WPA cases — file with the CPIO at the office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the relevant division. Assam has numerous forest divisions, including the Kaziranga Wildlife Division, Manas Tiger Reserve, Orang National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa Division, and multiple territorial forest divisions aligned with district boundaries.

Office of the PCCF / Chief Wildlife Warden — For State-Level or Multi-Division Queries

For state-wide data — total CAMPA fund utilisation, aggregate WPA conviction statistics across Assam, statewide FRA claim numbers, or wildlife displacement data — file with the CPIO at the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Aranya Bhawan, Guwahati – 781001, Assam. The PCCF also functions as Chief Wildlife Warden and holds records relating to wildlife protection enforcement at the state level.

Uncertainty and Transfer Under Section 6(3)

If you are uncertain whether your query is held by a particular DFO's office or the PCCF's office, file with the PCCF's CPIO. Under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act, the CPIO must transfer the application to the correct public authority within five days if the information is not held by that office, and must inform you of the transfer.

Step-by-Step: How to File RTI with the Assam Forest Department

Step 1: Identify the Information and the Correct Office

Define precisely what you need:

• Is it about a specific forest division (encroachment, local WPA case, NTFP auction)? File with that DFO's office.
• Is it statewide CAMPA fund data or aggregate WPA conviction statistics? File with the PCCF's office.
• Is it about an FRA 2006 claim? The Forest Department holds its own objection records; the DLC (District Collector) holds the overall claim records — you may need to file with both.

Step 2: Draft Your Application

Use the numbered sample RTI requests in this guide as a template. Adapt each numbered request to your specific need — inserting the relevant district, forest division, financial year, and any case numbers you have. Keep each request as a separate numbered item. Be specific about time periods.

Step 3: File Online via rtionline.gov.in

The national RTI portal at rtionline.gov.in routes applications to Assam state government public authorities. Select the Assam state government option, then identify the Forest Department (DFO or PCCF office) as the public authority. Online filing generates an immediate acknowledgement number and allows digital payment of the ₹10 fee. BPL cardholders upload a copy of their BPL ration card to claim the fee exemption.

Step 4: File by Post or in Person

Send a written application by registered post with acknowledgement due to the relevant CPIO — DFO's office or PCCF's office at Aranya Bhawan, Guwahati. Attach a ₹10 Indian Postal Order (IPO). Address the envelope: "Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005." Retain the postal tracking number. BPL cardholders attach a photocopy of their BPL ration card and need not pay the ₹10 fee.

Step 5: Await Response Within 30 Days

Under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, the CPIO must provide the requested information within 30 days of receipt. For information relating to the life or liberty of a person, the proviso to Section 7(1) requires response within 48 hours. If the 30-day window closes without a complete response, you are entitled to file a First Appeal immediately.

First Appeal: Section 19(1)

If the CPIO fails to respond within 30 days, or if the response is incomplete, evasive, or unsatisfactory, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee is payable at this stage.

Address the First Appeal to the designated First Appellate Authority (FAA) within the Assam Forest Department — typically the Conservator of Forests (for applications originating at a DFO's office) or a Chief Conservator of Forests (for applications originating at the PCCF level). In your appeal:

• Quote your original RTI application number and date.
• State what information you requested.
• Describe the deficiency — no response, partial response, or evasive response.
• Request the FAA to direct the CPIO to provide the complete and accurate information.

The FAA must decide within 30 days, extendable by a further 15 days with reasons recorded in writing.

Second Appeal: Assam Information Commission (AIC)

If the FAA does not respond within the prescribed period, or the FAA's decision is unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act with the Assam Information Commission (AIC).

The AIC is the state-level appellate body established under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005, with authority over all Assam state public authorities — including the Assam Forest Department, its DFO offices, and the PCCF's office. The Second Appeal must be filed within 90 days of the FAA's order or the expiry of the FAA's response period.

Critical point: The AIC is the correct second-appeal body — not the Central Information Commission (CIC). The CIC's jurisdiction extends only to Central Government ministries, departments, and Central Public Sector Undertakings. The Assam Forest Department is a state government body. A second appeal filed mistakenly with the CIC will be dismissed as not maintainable, wasting your 90-day limitation period. Do not file forest department second appeals with the CIC.

Under Section 20 of the RTI Act, the AIC has the power to impose a penalty of ₹250 per day on the CPIO personally for unjustified denial, delay, or provision of false or misleading information, up to a maximum of ₹25,000. The AIC may also recommend disciplinary action against the CPIO to the competent authority in the Forest Department. In your Second Appeal, explicitly request the AIC to consider imposing a Section 20 penalty if the delay or denial was unjustified — this ensures the penalty question is actively considered.

When filing the Second Appeal, include copies of:

• Your original RTI application and the dated acknowledgement.
• The CPIO's response (or a declaration that no response was received).
• The First Appeal you filed with the FAA.
• The FAA's response (or a declaration that no response was received).

RTI and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — A Note on Exemptions

The WPA, 1972 provides the criminal law framework for prosecuting wildlife offences, including poaching of scheduled species under Section 9 and penalties under Section 51. When seeking RTI on specific ongoing criminal investigations under the WPA, the CPIO may invoke Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act — which permits withholding of information that would impede the process of investigation or prosecution of an offence.

This exemption is not a blanket bar. It applies only to specific operational details of ongoing investigations — informant identities, ongoing surveillance details, names of suspects not yet arrested. It does not apply to:

• Aggregate statistics on cases registered, arrests made, and convictions obtained for a past period.
• Details of concluded cases (conviction, acquittal, discharge).
• Records of wildlife products (horns, ivory, skins) seized and inventoried.
• General patrol deployment data and guard camp records.
• Human-wildlife conflict incident tallies and compensation data.

If the CPIO invokes Section 8(1)(h) to deny aggregate statistics or concluded-case data, that denial is not justified and should be challenged in the First Appeal. Under Section 10 of the RTI Act, the CPIO must provide the non-exempt portions of any document even if parts of it are exempted — so redacted partial disclosure is required, not outright refusal.

Practical Tips for Assam Forest Department RTI Applications

Specify the forest division and financial year. The Assam Forest Department has dozens of territorial and wildlife divisions. An RTI that says "rhino poaching cases in Assam" without specifying Kaziranga Wildlife Division and a financial year will invite a response that the information is too voluminous to compile, or will produce an incomplete answer. Specify the division and the precise time period.

Separate CAMPA utilisation queries by financial year. CAMPA fund utilisation is reported annually through the Annual Plan of Operations. Ask for each financial year separately if you need multi-year data. Bundled multi-year requests often result in partial or summary replies.

For FRA 2006 claims, file with both the DFO and the District Collector. The District Collector chairs the District Level Committee (DLC) which is the final decision-making body for FRA claims. The DFO's office holds the Forest Department's objections and inputs into the process. A complete picture requires RTI to both. File the DFO RTI with the CPIO at the DFO's office; file the DLC RTI with the CPIO at the District Collector's office. Both are state public authorities with second appeal to the AIC.

For flood-season wildlife displacement, note the Brahmaputra flood cycle. Kaziranga and Pobitora experience significant inundation almost every monsoon. The Forest Department's records of flood-season mortality, displacement, and straying animals are maintained by the park management. RTI queries covering June–September of a specific year will capture the flood-related data.

Ask for CAMPA plantation survival rates alongside planting data. A common pattern in plantation programmes across India is high planting claims but poor survival. Asking for the survival rate (percentage of saplings surviving at 12 months and 36 months) alongside the total area planted provides a much more accurate picture of actual afforestation achievement versus paper targets.

Use rtionline.gov.in for an automatically dated and tracked record. Online filing creates an instantly time-stamped acknowledgement that is essential for calculating the 30-day response deadline and the First Appeal window. Paper filing by post should always be by registered post with acknowledgement due — retain the postal receipt and the acknowledgement as evidence for any appeal.

Relevant Legal Provisions

• Section 2(h), RTI Act, 2005 — Assam Forest Department is a public authority; all its offices are obligated to respond to RTI.
• Section 6, RTI Act, 2005 — Procedure for filing an RTI application with the CPIO, with ₹10 fee (free for BPL cardholders).
• Section 7(1), RTI Act, 2005 — CPIO must respond within 30 days of receipt.
• Section 7(1) proviso, RTI Act, 2005 — Information relating to life or liberty must be provided within 48 hours.
• Section 8(1)(h), RTI Act, 2005 — Exemption for information that would impede investigation; applies narrowly to specific ongoing investigation details only.
• Section 10, RTI Act, 2005 — Non-exempt portions of a document must be disclosed even if parts are exempt.
• Section 19(1), RTI Act, 2005 — First Appeal to FAA within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable.
• Section 19(3), RTI Act, 2005 — Second Appeal to the Assam Information Commission (AIC) within 90 days.
• Section 20, RTI Act, 2005 — Penalty of ₹250 per day (maximum ₹25,000) on the CPIO personally for unjustified denial, delay, or false/misleading information.
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — Section 9 (prohibition on hunting scheduled species), Section 51 (penalties), Section 40/41 (declaration and regulation of scheduled animal articles).
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA 2006) — Recognition of individual and community forest rights; three-tier adjudication structure.
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 — Establishment of National and State CAMPA; Annual Plans of Operations; fund utilisation framework.
• Forest Conservation Act, 1980 — Requirement of Central Government approval for diversion of forest land to non-forest use; generates CAMPA obligations.
• Indian Forest Act, 1927 — Framework for classified forest categories (reserved forest, protected forest) in Assam.

Assam's forests and wildlife are a global ecological heritage — the last viable stronghold for the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, a critical range for the Asian elephant, and a biodiversity hotspot whose condition has consequences far beyond the state's borders. The Assam Forest Department's accountability — in anti-poaching enforcement, forest land protection, tribal rights recognition, and CAMPA fund stewardship — is a matter of public interest in the fullest sense. RTI is the citizen's most direct legal tool to demand that accountability, and the Assam Information Commission stands behind every such application with the authority to compel disclosure and penalise unjustified withholding.