Lok Sabha Question No. 5831 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-10
Subject: Forest Cover under FRA, 2006
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RABINDRA KUMAR JENA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5831

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.04.2017

## FOREST COVER UNDER FRA, 2006

5831. SHRI RABINDRA KUMAR JENA: Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details and the percentage of existing forest cover in the country that can be claimed by tribal communities as traditional rights over forest lands and resources, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether any tribal communities have exercised the right to forest lands and resources guaranteed by the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA);
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the number of tribal communities who have exercised these rights is very low in comparison to the total number of tribal communities; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI JASWANTSINH BHABHOR)

- (a) to  (e):  This  Ministry  administers  'The  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest Rights) Act, 2006'  (in short FRA).  Responsibility  for implementation of FRA lies with State Governments/UT Administrations.

State-wise data on claims received (both for individual rights and community rights) and titles distributed under the provisions of the FRA and extent of forest land involved is maintained in the Ministry.  As per information received from various State Governments upto the month of January, 2017, a total of 17,83,262 titles have been distributed to the extent of 1,36,12,921.16 acres of forest land under said Act. The State-wise details are at Annex .

Data relating  to  percentage  of  existing  forest  cover  in  the  country  that  can  be  claimed under FRA and tribal community-wise data on claims filed and titles distributed is, however, not maintained in this Ministry.

****

## Annex

## Statement in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5831 for 10.04.2017 regarding 'Forest cover under FRA, 2006' asked by Shri Rabindra Kumar Jena, M.P.

| S. No.   | States           | No. of Claims received upto 31.01.2017   | No. of Claims received upto 31.01.2017   | No. of Claims received upto 31.01.2017   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.01.2017   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.01.2017   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.01.2017   | Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in acres)   | Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in acres)   | Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in acres)   |
|----------|------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | States           | Individual                               | Community                                | Total                                    | Individual                                  | Community                                   | Total                                       | Individual                                                      | Community                                                       | Total                                                           |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh   | 1,68,879                                 | 4,711                                    | 1,73,590                                 | 85,615                                      | 1,415                                       | 87,030                                      | 2,02,261.00                                                     | 4,41,063.00                                                     | 6,43,324.00                                                     |
| 2        | Assam            | 1,48,965                                 | 6,046                                    | 1,55,011                                 | 57,325                                      | 1,477                                       | 58,802                                      | NA                                                              | NA                                                              | NA                                                              |
| 3        | Bihar            | 8,022                                    | 0                                        | 8,022                                    | 121                                         | 0                                           | 121                                         | NA                                                              | 0.00                                                            | NA                                                              |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh     | 8,42,725                                 | 23,949                                   | 8,66,674                                 | 3,69,368                                    | 12,337                                      | 3,81,705                                    | 7,97,685.00                                                     | 12,86,669.21                                                    | 20,84,354.22                                                    |
| 5        | Goa              | 9,372                                    | 361                                      | 9,733                                    | 0                                           | 3                                           | 3                                           | 0.00                                                            | 4.35                                                            | 4.35                                                            |
| 6        | Gujarat          | 1,82,869                                 | 6,998                                    | 1,89,867                                 | 79,614                                      | 3,484                                       | 83,098                                      | 1,17,006.91                                                     | 11,42,191.96                                                    | 12,59,198.87                                                    |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh | 591                                      | 68                                       | 659                                      | 0                                           | 7                                           | 7                                           | 0.00                                                            | 4,670.28                                                        | 4,670.28                                                        |
| 8        | Jharkhand        | 99,224                                   | 3,286                                    | 1,02,510                                 | 54,458                                      | 1,723                                       | 56,181                                      | 98,265.22                                                       | 45,503.71                                                       | 1,43,768.93                                                     |
| 9        | Karnataka        | 2,98,795                                 | 5,741                                    | 3,04,536                                 | 12,421                                      | 628                                         | 13,049                                      | 16,436.60                                                       | 26,465.31                                                       | 42,901.91                                                       |
| 10       | Kerala           | 36,140                                   | 1,395                                    | 37,535                                   | 24,599                                      | NA                                          | 24,599                                      | 33,018.12                                                       | NA                                                              | 33,018.12                                                       |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh   | 5,74,902                                 | 39,816                                   | 6,14,718                                 | 2,11,214                                    | 27,422                                      | 2,38,636                                    | 7,92,295.50                                                     | 13,02,165.93                                                    | 20,94,461.44                                                    |
| 12       | Maharashtra      | 3,52,950                                 | 11,408                                   | 3,64,358                                 | 1,06,898                                    | 5,748                                       | 1,12,646                                    | 5,77,026.20                                                     | 44,35,944.77                                                    | 50,12,970.97                                                    |
| 13       | Odisha           | 6,21,622                                 | 13,433                                   | 6,35,055                                 | 4,03,338                                    | 5,891                                       | 4,09,229                                    | 6,03,293.56                                                     | 2,84,109.67                                                     | 8,87,403.23                                                     |
| 14       | Rajasthan        | 70,515                                   | 755                                      | 71,270                                   | 35,628                                      |                                             | 35,628                                      | 55,116.12                                                       | 660.79                                                          | 55,776.91                                                       |
| 15       | Tamil Nadu       | 18,420                                   | 3,361                                    | 21,781                                   | 0                                           | 0                                           | 0                                           | 0.00                                                            | 0.00                                                            | 0.00                                                            |
| 16       | Telangana        | 1,83,107                                 | 3,427                                    | 1,86,534                                 | 93,494                                      | 721                                         | 94,215                                      | 3,00,092.00                                                     | 4,54,055.00                                                     | 7,54,147.00                                                     |
| 17       | Tripura          | 1,93,751                                 | 277                                      | 1,94,028                                 | 1,24,541                                    | 16                                          | 1,24,557                                    | 4,34,119.45                                                     | 27.07                                                           | 4,34,146.52                                                     |
| 18       | Uttar Pradesh    | 92,520                                   | 1,124                                    | 93,644                                   | 17,712                                      | 843                                         | 18,555                                      | 18,854.46                                                       | 1,20,802.06                                                     | 1,39,656.53                                                     |
| 19       | Uttarakhand      | 182                                      | 0                                        | 182                                      | 0                                           | 0                                           | 0                                           | 0.00                                                            | 0.00                                                            | 0.00                                                            |
| 20       | West Bengal      | 1,31,962                                 | 10,119                                   | 1,42,081                                 | 44,396                                      | 805                                         | 45,201                                      | 22,065.05                                                       | 1,052.84                                                        | 23,117.89                                                       |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL            | 40,35,513                                | 1,36,275                                 | 41,71,788                                | 17,20,742                                   | 62,520                                      | 17,83,262                                   | 40,67,535                                                       | 95,45,386                                                       | 136,12,921.16                                                   |