Lok Sabha Question No. 723 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-21
Subject: Development of Forest Villages
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: ALOK SANJAR, GOPAL CHINAYYA SHETTY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †723 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.11.2016

## DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST VILLAGES

## † 723. SHRI ALOK SANJAR: SHRI GOPAL SHETTY:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  the  total  number  of  tribal  villages  at  present  in  the  country,  State/UT-wise  including  the norms for declaring a village as a tribal village;

(b) whether any specific programme for development of forest villages has been implemented by the Government;

- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the amount of funds allocated, released and utilized for the development of forest villages during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(d) the number of forest villages/ habitations in various parts of the country, State/UT-wise along with the details of forest villages developed at present;

(e)  the  number of persons benefited so far along with the time by which the remaining forest villages are likely to be included under the scheme; and

(f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government towards development of various forest villages in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) This Ministry does not maintain data/information about number of tribal villages. Neither this Ministry has prescribed any norms for declaring a village as a tribal Village. However, this Ministry has issued guidelines, in compliance of Section 3 (1) (h) of 'The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006,  on conversion of forest villages, old habitations, unsurveyed villages in forests, whether recorded, notified or not into revenue villages vide letter No.23011/33/2010-FRA dated 08.11.2013. Status of conversion of  Forest  Villages  to  Revenue  Villages  based  on  the  information  received  from  the  State Governments is at Annexure-1.

(c) Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  had  implemented  a  programme  for  development  of  forest villages since 2005-06 as a one-time measure for integrated development of forest villages with a view to raise the Human Development Index (HDI) of the inhabitants of the forest villages and for  providing  basic  facilities  and  services  in  forest  villages/habitations  in  the  country.        The programme included infrastructure works relating to basic services and facilities viz. approach roads,  healthcare,  primary  education,  minor  irrigation,  rainwater  harvesting,  drinking  water, sanitation, community halls, etc. and activities related to income generation. The programme was implemented as a part of the Special Area Programme 'Special Central Assistance to Tribal SubPlan'  and  funds  were  released  from  the  year  2006-07  to  2011-12  only.  No  fund  has  been released during 12 th Five Year Plan period.

## (d) The number of  forest villages State-wise is  as under:-

(Source : Census 2011)

| Sl. No.   | State Name               |   Number of Forest Villages |
|-----------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1         | Jammu &Kashmir           |                          41 |
| 2         | Uttarakhand              |                         421 |
| 3         | Uttar Pradesh            |                          89 |
| 4         | Sikkim                   |                          51 |
| 5         | Assam                    |                         897 |
| 6         | Jharkhand                |                          14 |
| 7         | Odisha                   |                          47 |
| 8         | Chhattisgarh             |                         658 |
| 9         | Madhya Pradesh           |                        1165 |
| 10        | Gujarat                  |                         162 |
| 11        | Maharashtra              |                          73 |
| 12        | Andhra Pradesh           |                           3 |
| 13        | Tamil Nadu               |                         736 |
| 14        | Andaman &Nicobar Islands |                         169 |
|           | INDIA                    |                        4526 |

- (e) & (f) In view of reply to part (c) above, question does not arise.

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (a)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  723  for 21.11.2016 regarding 'Development of Forest Villages'.

## Status of conversion of  Forest Villages  to Revenue Villages as per  Forest Rights Act,2006 based on the  information received  from the State Governments.

|   S.No | Name of the State   | Forest village to Revenue village                                                                         |
|--------|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      1 | Madhya Pradesh      | 925 Forest Villages to be converted to Revenue Villages                                                   |
|      2 | Maharashtra         | All Forest villages are in the process of conversion into revenue villages                                |
|      3 | Chhattisgarh        | 421 Forest villages converted to Revenue villages                                                         |
|      4 | West Bengal         | 86 Forest villages converted to Revenue villages                                                          |
|      5 | Odisha              | Recorded 22 Forest Villages and unsurveyed habitations identified for being converted to Revenue villages |
|      6 | Gujarat             | 175 have been identified for conversion to Revenue villages                                               |
|      7 | Uttar Pradesh       | 6 have been converted to Revenue Villages.                                                                |