Lok Sabha Question No. 939 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-08
Subject: Web-based Application (Van Mitra App)
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: T.N. Prathapan, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 939

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2021

## WEB-BASED APPLICATION (VAN MITRA APP)

939 . SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN: SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  number  of  claims  filed  under  the  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 since March 1, 2020, till date;
- (b) the number of claims rejected between March 1, 2020 up to present-day;
- (c)  whether  any  claims  of  persons  under  the  Act  are  being  rejected  using  findings  of  a  webbased  application  (Van  Mitra  App)  which  uses  satellite  maps,  instead  of  consulting  Gram Sabhas; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As per The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)  Act,  2006  (FRA  in  Short),  State  Governments  are  responsible  for  implementation  of various provisions of the Act. As per information received from State Governments, 1544 claims have been filed under FRA since 1 st March, 2020 till 31 st August, 2020.
- (b) As per information received from State Governments, 3152 claims have been rejected under FRA since 1 st March, 2020 till 31 st August, 2020.
- (c)  &  (d)  This  Ministry  has  not  received  report  of  any  such  rejection   being  made  by  using satellite maps. The satellite imagery are envisaged to be only supplementary information to the other evidence to be produced by the Claimants as per Rule 13 of the rules under the FRA, 2006.   This is clearly manifest from Explanation 2 under Rule 12A (11) of the Scheduled Tribes and  Other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest  Rights)  Rule,  2007  (FR  Rules) which provides that the satellite imagery and other uses of technology may supplement other form for evidence and shall not be treated as a replacement.

Further, in exercise of power under Section 11 read with Section 12 of the Act, this Ministry issued Guidelines on implementation of the Act on 12.7.2012 to the State Governments/UTs. The guidelines provide that use of any technology, such as satellite imagery, should be used to supplement evidences tendered by a claimant for consideration of the claim and not to replace other evidences submitted by him in support of his claims.

Subsequently,  this  Ministry  also  issued  communication  to  States/UTs,  who  as  per  FRA, 2006 are responsible for implementation of the Act, on 28.04.2015 and 27.07.2015 reiterating the same  position as also stressing the need  for ground  verification of claims using GPS/Android phone etc. to identify genuine claimants.

Also  as  per  rule  6(b)  of  FR  Rules,  district  administration  in  general  and  the  SDLC  in particular  are  expected  to  assist  the  Gram  Sabhas  and  the  FRCs  by  providing  forest  and revenue maps to them. In this context Geo-referenced maps may be generated and be provided to Gram Sabhas.

*****