Lok Sabha Question No. 2749 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Pending Forest Claims
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2749 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2025

## Pending Forest Claims

## 2749.   ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the number of claims on forest land in Nandurbar Lok Sabha Constituency which have been settled and the details thereof;
- (b) the details of forest claims which are still pending in Nandurbar Lok Sabha Constituency along with the time by which the said claims will be approved;
- (c) the details of total number of claims on forest land which have not been settled in the entire country, State-wise including the State of Maharashtra; and
- (d) whether the Government is taking any steps for the settlement of pending claims on forest land and if so, the details of steps being taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) As  per  the  information  received  from  the  State  of    Maharashtra,  the  details  of  the claims under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 in  Nandurbar Lok Sabha Constituency is as follows:
- (b) to (d) As  per  information  received  from  State  Government,  1925  number  of  forest  rights claims are pending in Nandurbar Lok Sabha Constituency. The state wise details of individual and community forest rights claims pending in the country are placed at Annexure-I and II respectively.

| Name of the District   | Individual forest rights claims approved   | Individual forest rights claims approved   |
|------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|                        | No.                                        | Area (in ha)                               |
| Nandurbar              | 27,213                                     | 37,742.76                                  |
| Dhule                  | 39,069                                     | 24288.75                                   |
| Total                  | 66,282                                     | 62,031.51                                  |

As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and Rules thereunder, responsibility for implementation of the Act lies with the States/UTs. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for  monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest  Rights)  Act,  2006.  The  Ministry  of  Tribal Affairs has issued various guidelines and advisories to the State/ UTs Governments for effective implementation of the Act.

***

Annexure I

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2749 due for answer on 17.03.2025 regarding 'Pending Forest Claims'

## State/UT wise details of total number of individual forest claims on forest land that have not been settled

(for the period ending 31.01.2025)

| Sl. No.   | States           | No. of individual forest claims received   | No. of claims pending for settlement   |
|-----------|------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh   | 284,870                                    | 1,496                                  |
| 2.        | Assam            | 148,965                                    | 91,640                                 |
| 3.        | Bihar            | 8,022                                      | 3,686                                  |
| 4.        | Chhattisgarh     | 888,028                                    | 12,046                                 |
| 5.        | Goa              | 9,758                                      | 8,769                                  |
| 6.        | Gujrat           | 182,869                                    | 84,580                                 |
| 7.        | Himachal Pradesh | 4,880                                      | 4,313                                  |
| 8.        | Jharkhand        | 107,032                                    | 20,796                                 |
| 9.        | Karnataka        | 288,549                                    | 24,508                                 |
| 10.       | Kerala           | 44,455                                     | 2,635                                  |
| 11.       | Madhya Pradesh   | 585,326                                    | 8,209                                  |
| 12.       | Maharashtra      | 397,897                                    | 27,743                                 |
| 13.       | Odisha           | 691,757                                    | 86,235                                 |
| 14.       | Rajasthan        | 113,162                                    | 481                                    |
| 15.       | Tamil Nadu       | 33,119                                     | 5,384                                  |
| 16.       | Telangana        | 651,822                                    | 328,343                                |
| 17.       | Tripura          | 200,557                                    | 3,841                                  |
| 18.       | Uttar Pradesh    | 92,577                                     | 68                                     |
| 19.       | Uttarakhand      | 3,587                                      | 0                                      |
| 20.       | West Bengal      | 131,962                                    | 185                                    |
| 21.       | Jammu &Kashmir   | 33,233                                     | 77                                     |
| Total     | Total            | 4,902,427                                  | 715,035                                |

Annexure II

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2749 due for answer on 17.03.2025 regarding 'Pending Forest Claims'

## State/UT wise details of total number of community forest claims on forest land that have not been settled

(for the period ending 31.01.2025)

| Sl. No.   | States           | No. of community forest claims received   | No. of claims pending for settlement   |
|-----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh   | 3,294                                     | 8                                      |
| 2.        | Assam            | 6,046                                     | 4,569                                  |
| 3.        | Bihar            | 0                                         | 0                                      |
| 4.        | Chhattisgarh     | 53,949                                    | 1,449                                  |
| 5.        | Goa              | 378                                       | 362                                    |
| 6.        | Gujrat           | 7,187                                     | 64                                     |
| 7.        | Himachal Pradesh | 539                                       | 393                                    |
| 8.        | Jharkhand        | 3,724                                     | 117                                    |
| 9.        | Karnataka        | 5,940                                     | 386                                    |
| 10.       | Kerala           | 991                                       | 434                                    |
| 11.       | Madhya Pradesh   | 42,187                                    | 2,020                                  |
| 12.       | Maharashtra      | 11,259                                    | 447                                    |
| 13.       | Odisha           | 28,262                                    | 19,500                                 |
| 14.       | Rajasthan        | 5,213                                     | 207                                    |
| 15.       | Tamil Nadu       | 1,548                                     | 64                                     |
| 16.       | Telangana        | 3,427                                     | 1,024                                  |
| 17.       | Tripura          | 164                                       | 0                                      |
| 18.       | Uttar Pradesh    | 1,162                                     | 0                                      |
| 19.       | Uttarakhand      | 3,091                                     | 0                                      |
| 20.       | West Bengal      | 10,119                                    | 179                                    |
| 21.       | Jammu &Kashmir   | 12,857                                    | 69                                     |
| Total     | Total            | 201,337                                   | 31,058                                 |