Lok Sabha Question No. 248 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Conversion of Forest Villages in Revenue Villages
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Rahul Kaswan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- †248

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 05/02/2024

## CONVERSION OF FOREST VILLAGES IN REVENUE VILLAGES

## † 248. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether people in rural areas have encroached forest land and have constructed houses etc. through the personal/Government resources and have been living there for more than 50 years;
- (b) whether process for the eviction from such land is underway and notices for the same have been served;
- (c) if so, the State-wise details thereof including Rajasthan;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  received  any  proposals  from  various  State  Governments  for converting forest villages into revenue villages;
- (e) if so, the State-wise and village-wise details thereof including Rajasthan; and
- (f) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): As informed by MoEFCC, the 'land' is a subject matter of the State Government. The forest areas and the legal boundaries thereof are determined and maintained by the concerned State Government.  That,  inter-alia,  being  the  repository  of  land  records,  State  Government  has  the primary responsibility to determine status of any parcel of land, giving due regards to records, provisions under State and Central Acts and rules. The process of identification of and eviction of encroachments is the process of respective state governments as per the provisions of relevant Acts and Rules. The data of such evictions is not maintained at the level of this ministry.

FRA and rules made thereunder provides rights, which the State Government implements as per the Act. All those found eligible as per Act and Rules are recognized to that extent and action taken on the remaining.

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (in short FRA) provides safeguards to the forest dwellers from undue eviction through the provisions  contained  in  Section  4(5). Further,  Schedule  -  V  provide  for  safeguards  against displacement of tribal population because of land acquisitions etc. The Governor of the State which has scheduled Areas is empowered to prohibit or restrict transfer of land from tribals and regulate the allotment of land to members of the Scheduled Tribes in such cases.

(d) to (f): Section 3(1)(h) of FRA guarantees rights of settlement and conversion of all forest villages,  old  habitation,  unsurveyed  villages  and  other  villages  in  forests,  whether  recorded, notified or not into revenue villages. As per FRA and rules made there under State Governments / UT  Administrations are  responsible  for  implementation  of  various  provisions  of  the  Act. Accordingly,  State  Governments  are  persuaded  from  time  to  time  to  examine  the  process  for conversion of forest villages into revenue villages as per the said rules. Ministry of Tribal Affairs does not receive any proposal from State Governments for converting forest villages into revenue villages.

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