Lok Sabha Question No. 756 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Ensuring Land Rights for Tribal Communities
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-756

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 24/07/2025

## ENSURING LAND RIGHTS FOR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES

## 756. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that many tribal communities across several States are being denied land titles under the Forest Rights Act and are being forced to vacate and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the total number of land and community title claims filed and rejected under the said Act since 2020, State-wise;

(c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  that  eligible  tribal  families  receive  individual  and community titles and that their habitat and customary rights remain protected; and

(d)  whether  the  Government  has  issued  any  directives  or  instituted  oversight  mechanisms  to  prevent wrongful evictions and expedite settlement process for pending claims through dedicated cells or digitisation efforts and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## (SHRI DURGA DAS UIKEY)

(a)  :  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs,  being  the  Nodal  Ministry  for  administering  the  legislative  matters  of 'Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Recognition of Forest Rights Act 2006' (in short FRA), has  been  issuing  directions  and  guidelines  from  time  to  time  on  various  aspects  to  ensure  proper implementation of the Act. As per FRA and Rules made thereunder, the State Governments are responsible for implementation of various provisions of the Act and is being implemented in 20 States and 1 UT.

FRA provides  safeguards  against  forced  eviction.  Section  4(5)  of  FRA  provides  that  Save  as  otherwise provided,  no  member  of  a  forest  dwelling  Scheduled  Tribe  or  other  traditional  forest  dwellers  shall  be evicted or removed from the forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete. There is a provision of petition by aggrieved persons to SDLC and DLC [Section 6(2) and 6(4) of FRA]. Further, the State Level Monitoring Committee under the Chair of Chief Secretary is to meet at least once in three months to monitor the process of recognition, verification and vesting of forest rights, consider and address field level problems.

(b):  The Ministry of Tribal Affairs monitors the Monthly Progress Reports submitted by the States/UTs. As reported by States/UTs, cumulatively till 31st May 2025, a  total  of  51,23,104 claims have been filed at Gram Sabha Level , comprising 49,11,495 individual and 2,11,609 community claims. Out of which a total of  25,11,375  (49.02%)  titles  were  distributed,  comprising  23,89,670  individual  and  1,21,705  community titles.  And 18,62,056 (36.34%) claims have been rejected, comprising  18,09,017 individual and 53,039 community claims. State wise details  of  claims  filed  at  Gram  Sabha  Level  (Individual  and  Community), Title  distributed  and  claims  rejected  are  at Annexure. The  details  of  number  of  claims  (individual  and community)  filed  at  Gram  Sabha  Level  under  FRA  and  the  total  number  of  claims  rejected  since  2020, month wise and State/UT-wise are available at this Ministry's websiteon FRAMPRhttps://tribal.nic.in/FRA.aspx.

(c) & (d): Ministry of Tribal Affairs has taken following steps to ensure that eligible tribal families receive individual and community titles and that their habitat and customary  rights remain protected and prevent wrongful evictions and expedite settlement process:

(i)       MoTA  has  been  issuing  directions  and  guidelines  from  time  to  time  on  various  aspects  to  ensure proper implementation of the Act. Further review meetings are regularly being held from time to time with the State Tribal Welfare Department and concerned authorities.  DC/DMs have been advised to dispose of all pending FRA Claims in time.

(ii)     Grievances /representations received in the Ministry regarding violation of FRA are forwarded to the State / UTs concerned, to ensure that legitimate claimants are not denied their forest rights.

(iii)     MoTA  has  been  providing  financial  support  to  the  districts  under  'Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram Utkarsh  Abhiyan'  (DA-JGUA)'  for  setting  up  dedicated  FRA  cells  at  the  State  and  district/subdivision levels, for a period of two years to facilitate the settlement process for pending claims (both community and individual), ensure timely convening  of Sub-Divisional Level Committees  (SDLC),  District Level Committees (DLC), and other related bodies. MoTA has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Setting up of FRA Cells. The ministry is urging states to prepare an FRA Atlas to map the potential forest  areas  which  can  be  considered  under  FRA  and  undertake  capacity  building  of  all  stakeholders. Further,  Ministry  has  been  providing  financial  support  to  the  State  Tribal  Welfare  Department  for development  and  maintenance  of  the  state-specific  FRA  portal  (which  includes  dedicated  server,  cost  of software, hardware, security audit, digital mapping of land records and other operational costs) under DA JGUA.

Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 756 to be answered

## on- 24/07/2025

| S. No .   | States           | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Claims received upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | No. of Titles Distributed upto 31.05.2025   | Claims Rejected upto 31.05.2025   | Claims Rejected upto 31.05.2025   | Claims Rejected upto 31.05.2025   |
|-----------|------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| S. No .   | States           | Individu al                              | Communit y                               | Total                                    | Individu al                                 | Communit y                                  | Total                                       | Individu al                       | Communit y                        | Total                             |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh   | 285,098                                  | 3,294                                    | 288,392                                  | 226,651                                     | 1,822                                       | 228,473                                     | 56940                             | 1470                              | 5841 0                            |
| 2         | Assam            | 148,965                                  | 6,046                                    | 155,011                                  | 57,325                                      | 1,477                                       | 58,802                                      | NA/NR                             | NA/NR                             | NA/NR                             |
| 3         | Bihar            | 4,696                                    | 0                                        | 4,696                                    | 191                                         | 0                                           | 191                                         | 4496                              | 0                                 | 4496                              |
| 4         | Chhattisgar h    | 890,220                                  | 57,259                                   | 947,479                                  | 481,432                                     | 52,636                                      | 534,068                                     | 403129                            | 3658                              | 406787                            |
| 5         | Goa              | 9,757                                    | 379                                      | 10,136                                   | 856                                         | 15                                          | 871                                         | 438                               | 9                                 | 447                               |
| 6         | Gujarat          | 183,055                                  | 7,187                                    | 190,242                                  | 98,732                                      | 4,792                                       | 103,524                                     | 0                                 | 2331                              | 2331                              |
| 7         | Himachal Pradesh | 4,883                                    | 683                                      | 5,566                                    | 662                                         | 146                                         | 808                                         | 52                                | 2                                 | 54                                |
| 8         | Jharkhand        | 107,032                                  | 3,724                                    | 110,756                                  | 59,866                                      | 2,104                                       | 61,970                                      | 26370                             | 1737                              | 28107                             |
| 9         | Karnataka        | 288,549                                  | 5,940                                    | 294,489                                  | 14,981                                      | 1,345                                       | 16,326                                      | 249060                            | 4209                              | 253269                            |
| 10        | Kerala           | 44,455                                   | 1,014                                    | 45,469                                   | 29,422                                      | 282                                         | 29,704                                      | 12539                             | 296                               | 12835                             |
| 11        | Madhya Pradesh   | 585,326                                  | 42,187                                   | 627,513                                  | 266,901                                     | 27,976                                      | 294,877                                     | 310216                            | 12191                             | 322407                            |
| 12        | Maharashtr a     | 397,897                                  | 11,259                                   | 409,156                                  | 199,667                                     | 8,668                                       | 208,335                                     | 170487                            | 2144                              | 172631                            |
| 13        | Odisha           | 701,148                                  | 35,024                                   | 736,172                                  | 462,067                                     | 8,832                                       | 470,899                                     | 144104                            | 532                               | 144636                            |
| 14        | Rajasthan        | 113,162                                  | 5,213                                    | 118,375                                  | 49,215                                      | 2,551                                       | 51,766                                      | 63466                             | 2455                              | 65921                             |
| 15        | Tamil Nadu       | 33,119                                   | 1,548                                    | 34,667                                   | 15,442                                      | 1,066                                       | 16,508                                      | 12293                             | 418                               | 12711                             |
| 16        | Telangana        | 651,822                                  | 3,427                                    | 655,249                                  | 230,735                                     | 721                                         | 231,456                                     | 92744                             | 1682                              | 94426                             |
| 17        | Tripura          | 200,557                                  | 164                                      | 200,721                                  | 127,931                                     | 101                                         | 128,032                                     | 68785                             | 63                                | 68848                             |
| 18        | Uttar Pradesh    | 92,972                                   | 1,194                                    | 94,166                                   | 22,537                                      | 893                                         | 23,430                                      | 70435                             | 301                               | 70736                             |
| 19        | Uttarakhan d     | 3,587                                    | 3,091                                    | 6,678                                    | 184                                         | 1                                           | 185                                         | 3403                              | 3090                              | 6493                              |
| 20        | West Bengal      | 131,962                                  | 10,119                                   | 142,081                                  | 44,444                                      | 686                                         | 45,130                                      | 87333                             | 9254                              | 96587                             |
| 21        | Jammu& Kashmir   | 33,233                                   | 12,857                                   | 46,090                                   | 429                                         | 5,591                                       | 6,020                                       | 32727                             | 7197                              | 39924                             |
|           | TOTAL            | 4,911,495                                | 211,609                                  | 5,123,10 4                               | 2,389,670                                   | 121,705                                     | 2,511,37 5                                  | 1809017                           | 53039                             | 186205 6                          |