Lok Sabha Question No. 2445 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-18
Subject: Data of Forest Dwellers
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 2445

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 18/12/2023

## DATA OF FOREST DWELLERS

## 2445. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the claims received under the Forest Rights Act, detailing titles distributed and area claimed and titled for forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs), State-wise;
- (b) the data on villages/habitations in each State claiming Community Forest Resource rights under FRA;
- (c) the details of the States continue to restrict the ownership, collection, use and disposal of minor forest produce by the STs and OTFDs and the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to issue directives on the recommendations of Dr. Hrusikesh Panda's expert committee on PVTGs' habitat rights and pastoralists' rights; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to address GST concerns on minor forest produce like tendu leaves for direct benefit to STs and OTFDs?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

- ( a) to (c): As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of forest Rights)  Act,  2006  (in  short  FRA)  and  rules  made  there  under,  the  State  Governments  /  UT Administrations are responsible for the implementation of various provisions of the Act.

As per the information submitted by the State Governments upto the month of October, 2023, the State wise details of number of claims received under the Forest Rights Act, titles distributed and the extent of forest land for which titles have been distributed (individual and community rights) upto 31.10.2023 under FRA is at Annexure-1 . The Ministry collates cumulative figures. The segregated data of Forest

Dwelling Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers is not centrally maintained as also village wise details of rights relating to community forest resources.

The FRA though its Secton 3(1)(c) guarantees the right of ownership, access to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce which has been traditionally collected within or outside village boundaries. State Governments / UTs have not formally reported continuance of restrictions  thereon.

(d): The expert committee chaired by Dr Hrusikesh Panda has submitted its report on recognition of habitat rights of PVTGs and the rights of pastoralists.  Provisions are there in the Act and Rules to guide the authorities concerned for recognition of forest rights including habitat and habitation rights detailed in Section 3(1)d and 3 (1)e  to eligible individual and /or communities. No separate guidelines have been issued by this Ministry for recognition of habitat rights.

(e): The GST Council consisting of the Union Finance Minister and representatives from all States and Union Territories has  been established  by  the  Government  of  India  to  make  decisions  on  various  aspects  of  GST, including  tax  rates,  exemptions,  administrative  procedures,  addressing  GST  concerns  and  shaping  the  GST framework in India. Under the Indian GST, goods and services are categorized into different tax slabs, including 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%. Some essential commodities are exempted from GST,

## Annexure -1 referred to in reply to part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2445 for 18.12.2023

Statement of Claims received, titles distributed and Extent of Forset land for which titles have been distributed under The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 upto 31.10.2023:

| S. No.   | States           | No. of Claims received upto 31.10.2023   | No. of Claims received upto 31.10.2023   | No. of Claims received upto 31.10.2023   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.10.2023   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.10.2023   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.10.2023   | 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   | 2,84,294                                 | 3,294                                    | 2,87,588                                 | 2,25,826                                    | 1,822                                       | 2,27,648                                    | 4,54,041                                                        | 5,26,454                                                        | 9,80,495.00                                                     |
| 2        | Assam            | 1,48,965                                 | 6,046                                    | 1,55,011                                 | 57,325                                      | 1,477                                       | 58,802                                      | NA/NR                                                           | NA/NR                                                           | NA/NR                                                           |
| 3        | Bihar            | 8,022                                    | NA/NR                                    | 8,022                                    | 121                                         | 0                                           | 121                                         | NA/NR                                                           | NA/NR                                                           | NA/NR                                                           |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh     | 8,83,938                                 | 53,920                                   | 9,37,858                                 | 4,75,100                                    | 49,241                                      | 5,24,341                                    | 9,44,154.80                                                     | 51,46,193.75                                                    | 60,90,348.55                                                    |
| 5        | Goa              | 9,758                                    | 378                                      | 10,136                                   | 472                                         | 13                                          | 485                                         | 884.37                                                          | 18.16                                                           | 902.53                                                          |
| 6        | Gujarat          | 1,82,869                                 | 7,187                                    | 1,90,056                                 | 96,559                                      | 4,791                                       | 1,01,350                                    | 1,63,508.86                                                     | 12,40,680.15                                                    | 14,04,189.01                                                    |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh | 4,880                                    | 466                                      | 5,346                                    | 256                                         | 59                                          | 315                                         | 50.92                                                           | 11,180.74                                                       | 11,231.66                                                       |
| 8        | Jharkhand        | 1,07,032                                 | 3,724                                    | 1,10,756                                 | 59,866                                      | 2,104                                       | 61,970                                      | 1,53,395.86                                                     | 1,03,758.97                                                     | 2,57,154.83                                                     |
| 9        | Karnataka        | 2,88,549                                 | 5,940                                    | 2,94,489                                 | 14,981                                      | 1,345                                       | 16,326                                      | 20,077.30                                                       | 36,340.52                                                       | 56,417.82                                                       |
| 10       | Kerala           | 44,200                                   | 991                                      | 45,191                                   | 28,641                                      | 224                                         | 28,865                                      | 38,045.62                                                       | 7,61,489.62                                                     | 7,99,535.24                                                     |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh   | 5,85,326                                 | 42,187                                   | 6,27,513                                 | 2,66,901                                    | 27,976                                      | 2,94,877                                    | 9,03,533.06                                                     | 14,63,614.46                                                    | 23,67,147.52                                                    |
| 12       | Maharashtra      | 3,89,723                                 | 11,323                                   | 4,01,046                                 | 1,98,220                                    | 8,400                                       | 2,06,620                                    | 5,53,960.01                                                     | 33,01,556.68                                                    | 38,55,516.70                                                    |
| 13       | Odisha           | 6,32,326                                 | 15,461                                   | 6,47,787                                 | 4,57,238                                    | 7,813                                       | 4,65,051                                    | 6,70,181.16                                                     | 3,74,303.02                                                     | 10,44,484.17                                                    |
| 14       | Rajasthan        | 1,11,560                                 | 8,478                                    | 1,20,038                                 | 48,614                                      | 2,259                                       | 50,873                                      | 68,591.34                                                       | 1,83,091.77                                                     | 2,51,683.11                                                     |
| 15       | Tamil Nadu       | 34,877                                   | 2,584                                    | 37,461                                   | 10,536                                      | 531                                         | 11,067                                      | 9,626.44                                                        | NA/NR                                                           | 9,626.44                                                        |
| 16       | Telangana        | 2,04,176                                 | 2,808                                    | 2,06,984                                 | 97,434                                      | 102                                         | 97,536                                      | 3,10,916.00                                                     | 3,631.00                                                        | 3,14,547.00                                                     |
| 17       | Tripura          | 2,00,557                                 | 164                                      | 2,00,721                                 | 1,27,931                                    | 101                                         | 1,28,032                                    | 4,65,192.88                                                     | 552.40                                                          | 4,65,745.28                                                     |
| 18       | Uttar Pradesh    | 92,577                                   | 1,162                                    | 93,739                                   | 18,049                                      | 861                                         | 18,910                                      | 19,190.27                                                       | 1,20,776.00                                                     | 1,39,966.27                                                     |
| 19       | Uttarakhand      | 3,587                                    | 3,091                                    | 6,678                                    | 184                                         | 1                                           | 185                                         | 0.00                                                            | 0.00                                                            | 0.00                                                            |
| 20       | West Bengal      | 1,31,962                                 | 10,119                                   | 1,42,081                                 | 44,444                                      | 686                                         | 45,130                                      | 21,014.27                                                       | 572.03                                                          | 21,586.29                                                       |
| 21       | Jammu &Kashmi r  | 32,207                                   | 10,224                                   | 42,431                                   | 315                                         | 4,190                                       | 4,505                                       | NA/NR                                                           | NA/NR                                                           | NA/NR                                                           |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL            | 43,81,385                                | 1,89,547                                 | 45,70,932                                | 22,29,013                                   | 1,13,996                                    | 23,43,009                                   | 47,96,364.16                                                    | 1,32,74,213.27                                                  | 1,80,70,577.43                                                  |

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