Lok Sabha Question No. 4648 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-22
Subject: Traditional Forest Dwellers
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: K. Subbarayan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARED QUESTION NO.4648

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2019

## TRADITIONAL FOREST DWELLERS

## 4648 SHRI SUBBARAYAN K.:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the existing Government machinery to ensure implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 in the co-operation with the States;
- (b) The details of the claims to the forest land that have been received /rejected so far; State-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  have  any  plan  to  review  the  rejected  claim  of  individual  Forest  Right (IFR) and Community Forest Right (CFR) and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government have any plans for effective protection and regeneration of forests and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

- (a) Chapter  IV  of  the  Scheduled  Tribes  and  other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA Act in short) provides that the Gram Sabha shall be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both that may be given to the forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers within the local limits  of  its  jurisdiction  under  this  Act  by  receiving  claims,  consolidating  and  verifying  them  and preparing a map delineating the area of each recommended claim in such manner as may be prescribed for exercise of such rights and the Gram Sabha shall, then, pass a resolution to that effect and thereafter forward a copy of the same to the Sub-Divisional Level Committee.   As per Section 6(7) of FRA, State Level Monitoring Committee is to monitor the process of recognition and vesting of forest rights and to submit to the nodal agency such returns and reports as may be called for by that agency.  Section 11 of FRA Act provides  that  the  Ministry  of  the  Central  Government  dealing  with  Tribal  Affairs  or  any officer or authority authorized by the Central Government in this behalf shall be the nodal agency for the implementation of the provisions of this Act.
- (b) The details of the claims in the forest land that have been received/rejected State-wise are at Annexure.
- (c) The State Governments/UTs have already been issued advisories by this Ministry from time to time to carry out the provision of the Forest Right Act, 2006 and Rules there under while processing the claim of Forest dwellers under the Act and to ensure that no eligible claim is rejected.    In addition, recently a  letter  dated  26.03.2019  was  also  issued  to  all  Sates/UTs  indicating  various  directions  issued  by Ministry of Tribal Affairs regarding the implementation of FRA, 2006 circulated, to facilitate necessary action  by  the  States/UT  Governments.    The  advisories  to  State  Governments/UTs  include  advice  to review rejected claims so as to ensure that no eligible claim is rejected.
- (d) Ministry  of  Environment,    Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC)    has  informed    that  protection, conservation and management of forests including activities related to improving the forest cover and regeneration  of  forests  etc  in  the  country  are  carried  out  as  per  the  existing  National  Forest  Policy, 1988; the Indian Forest Act, 1927; Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972; Biological  Diversity  Act,  2002;  forest  related  specific  Acts  and  Rules  of  the  respective  State/UT Governments and as per the prescriptions of Working Plan/ Management Plan prepared under Working Plan Code.

MoEFCC has further informed that to increase the forest cover and improvement of forests, the Ministry implements various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM). The National Afforestation Programme is for regeneration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through people's participation. The scheme is being implemented through a decentralized mechanism of State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development  agency  (FDA)  at  Forest  Division  level  and  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees (JFMCs) at village level.

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| S. No   | States           | Claims Received   | Claims Rejected*   |
|---------|------------------|-------------------|--------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh   | 1,81,508          | 75,927             |
| 2       | Assam            | 1,55,011          | 0                  |
| 3       | Bihar            | 8,022             | 4,215              |
| 4       | Chhattisgarh     | 8,90,240          | 4,61,590           |
| 5       | Goa              | 10,136            | 47                 |
| 6       | Gujarat          | 1,90,056          | 64,769             |
| 7       | Himachal Pradesh | 2,241             | 0                  |
| 8       | Jharkhand        | 1,10,756          | 28,107             |
| 9       | Karnataka        | 2,81,349          | 1,80,956           |
| 10      | Kerala           | 37,535            | 7,889              |
| 11      | Madhya Pradesh   | 6,24,975          | 3,60,834           |
| 12      | Maharashtra      | 3,74,716          | 45,525             |
| 13      | Odisha           | 6,31,761          | 1,46,749           |
| 14      | Rajasthan        | 75,855            | 36,299             |
| 15      | Tamil Nadu       | 33,988            | 11,742             |
| 16      | Telangana        | 1,86,679          | 83,757             |
| 17      | Tripura          | 2,00,635          | 68,610             |
| 18      | Uttar Pradesh    | 93,644            | 74,945             |
| 19      | Uttarakhand      | 6,665             | 4,956              |
| 20      | West Bengal      | 1,42,081          | 96,587             |
| TOTAL   | TOTAL            | 42,37,853         | 17,53,504          |