Lok Sabha Question No. 1814 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-13
Subject: Rehabilitation of Tribal People
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Haji Fazlur Rehman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-† 1814

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 13/02/2023

## REHABILITATION OF TRIBAL PEOPLE

## †1814. SHRI HAJI FAZLUR REHMAN:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government proposes to rehabilitate the tribal people residing in national parks/ reserves/sanctuaries in various States in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is aware of the cases of exploitation of tribal people residing in the forest areas;

(d) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and

(e) the details of the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) & (b): As  per  'The Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961', Wildlife conservation, preservation, protection, planning including Project Tiger and Project Elephant and Wild life preservation and protection of wild birds and animals is administered by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

As per the information received from MoEFCC, the package for voluntary relocation/rehabilitation of  people  from the core/critical tiger habitats which  covers  the provisions of 'National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007' has been designed taking into  consideration the  difficulties/  imperatives  involved  in  relocating  people  living  in  forest areas. The package has two options:

Option 1 :- Payment of entire package amount (which was earlier Rs.10 lakhs per family has now been increased to Rs.15 lakh per family in 2021) to the family in case the family opts so, without involving any rehabilitation/ relocation process by the Forest Department.

Option II:- Carrying out relocation/rehabilitation  of village from protected area/ tiger reserve  by the forest Department.

The  policy  has  also  the  provision  to  monitor  the  relocation  process  by  the  State  level monitoring committee and District level implementing committee.

The  MoEFCC  provides  financial  assistance  to  States/UTs  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored Schemes of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats,' for conservation and management of wildlife including voluntary relocation of families from Protected areas (National Parks/Sanctuaries) for creating inviolate space for wild animals based on the Annual Plan of Operations submitted by States/UTs.

(c)  to  (e): The  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  administers  'The  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other Traditional  Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest  Rights)  Act,  2006  (In  short  FRA).  Under FRA,  individual  and  community  rights  are  recognised  and  vested  on  forest  land  in  forest dwelling  Scheduled  Tribes  (FDSTs)  and  other  traditional  forest  dwellers  (OTFDs)  for  the purpose of occupation, cultivation, habitation, livelihood etc.

As  per  FRA  and  rules  made  there  under  State  Governments  /  UT  Administrations are responsible for implementation of various provisions of the Act. As per Section 2 (d) of FRA 'forest  land'  means  land  of  any  description  falling  within  any  forest  area  and  includes unclassified forests, undermarcated forests, existing or deemed forests, protected forest, reserved forest,  Sanctuaries  and  National  Parks.  Section  4  (5)  of  FRA  states  that  save  as  otherwise provided, no member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes or Other Traditional Forest Dweller shall  be  evicted  or  removed from the  forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete.

No  such  incidences  of  exploitation  of  tribal  people  residing  in  forest  areas  have  been formally reported by the State Government/ UT Administration to this Ministry.

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