Lok Sabha Question No. 171 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-11
Subject: Displacement from Forest Land
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Rajkumar Roat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 171

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2025

## DISPLACEMENT FROM FOREST LAND

## †*171. SHRI RAJKUMAR ROAT:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Forest Rights Act (FRA) provides for non-displacement of applicants from forest land in pending cases, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the pending applicants are being displaced from many areas despite the restrictive provisions under FRA, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  number  of applicants displaced from their homes and their possessions removed in the country by Forest Department or other Government machinery during the last five years despite the fact that their cases are pending, State-wise, year-wise and particularly name-wise details of Dewas district in Madhya Pradesh;
- (d) the action being taken against the guilty officials, State-wise;
- (e) the  number of individuals and  community claims under the FRA  currently lying pending/rejected across the country; and
- (f) the number of applications received under FRA for the Tiger Project, eco-tourism in the forest areas and in other project areas in the country along with the number of leases issued, applications lying pending and those rejected thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI JUAL ORAM)

- (a) to (f):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 171 FOR  ANSWER  ON  11.12.2025  REGARDING  'DISPLACEMENT  FROM  FOREST LAND' BY SHRI RAJKUMAR ROAT

(a): Section 3 (1) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act" (in short, FRA) enacted in 2006 provides vesting of forest rights including right to hold and live in the forest land under individual or common occupation for habitation or for self-cultivation for livelihood by a member or members of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dweller as defined in Section 2 (c) and 2 (o). Section 4 (5) of FRA states that "Save as otherwise provided, no member of a Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribe or Other Traditional Forest Dweller shall be evicted or removed from forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete". Further, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 provides for provisions for resettlement of forest rights holders subject to satisfying certain conditions outlined in Section 4, sub-section (2) of the said Act.

(b & c): No reports have been received from the State Governments regarding pending applicants being displaced. As reported by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),  there are no persons who have been displaced from core/critical tiger habitats of tiger reserves, and free and informed  prior  consent  of  the  people  is  taken  and  due  diligence  is  exercised  by  the  States  in harmony  with  the  voluntarism  enshrined  in  the  Wildlife  (Protection)  Act,  1972  read  with  the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

As reported by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, in Dewas district, there are a total of 9238 claims (Individual- 8762 and Community- 476) have been received, out of which a total of 4869 (52.70%) titles were distributed, 4368 (47.28%) claims have been rejected, and 1 claim is pending. Therefore, 99.98% claims are disposed of in Dewas District of Madhya Pradesh.

## (d): Question does not arise

(e): As reported by States/UTs, cumulatively till 31st October 2025, a total of 51,57,332 claims have been filed at Gram Sabha Level, comprising 49,44,101 individual and 2,13,231 community claims. Out of which a total of 25,14,774 (48.76%) titles were distributed, comprising 23,92,545 individual and 1,22,229 community titles. A total of 18,73,738 (36.33%) have been rejected and a total of 7,68,820 claims are pending for decision. State-wise details are at Annexure.

(f): No applications have been received in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs under FRA for the Tiger Project, ecotourism in the forest areas, and in other project areas. Further ,the said information is not collated at the level of the Government of India as relevant provisions clearly prescribe a Statelevel Monitoring Committee and a District-level Implementing Committee to oversee the process of monitoring and implementing the voluntary resettlement process.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 171 for answer on 11.12.2025

State-wise details  of  Claims  and  Distribution  of  title  deeds  and  rejected  claims  under  The  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 as per information received from States as on 31.10.2025:

| S. No.   | States           | No. of Claims receivedupto 31.10.2025   | No. of Claims receivedupto 31.10.2025   | No. of Claims receivedupto 31.10.2025   | No. of Titles Distributedupto 31.10.2025   | No. of Titles Distributedupto 31.10.2025   | No. of Titles Distributedupto 31.10.2025   | Number of Claims Rejected   | Number of Claims Rejected   |
|----------|------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| S. No.   | States           | Individual                              | Community                               | Total                                   | Individual                                 | Community                                  | Total                                      | Individual                  | Community                   |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh   | 285,115                                 | 3,294 288,409                           |                                         | 226,667                                    | 1,822                                      | 228,489                                    | 56925                       | 1470                        |
| 2        | Assam            | 148,965                                 | 6,046                                   | 155,011                                 | 57,325                                     | 1,477                                      | 58,802                                     | 0                           | 0                           |
| 3        | Bihar            | 4,696                                   | 0                                       | 4,696                                   | 191                                        | 0                                          | 191                                        | 4496                        | 0                           |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh     | 890,220                                 | 57,259                                  | 947,479                                 | 481,432                                    | 52,636                                     | 534,068                                    | 403129                      | 3658                        |
| 5        | Goa              | 9,958                                   | 388                                     | 10,346                                  | 1,027                                      | 19                                         | 1,046                                      | 702                         | 1178                        |
| 6        | Gujarat          | 183,055                                 | 7,187                                   | 190,242                                 | 98,732                                     | 4,792                                      | 103,524                                    | 0                           | 2331                        |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh | 4,981                                   | 683                                     | 5,664                                   | 755                                        | 146                                        | 901                                        | 52                          | 2                           |
| 8        | Jharkhand        | 107,032                                 | 3,724                                   | 110,756                                 | 59,866                                     | 2,104                                      | 61,970                                     | 26370                       | 1737                        |
| 9        | Karnataka        | 289,236                                 | 5,940                                   | 295,176                                 | 15,355                                     | 1,345                                      | 16,700                                     | 258109                      | 4270                        |
| 10       | Kerala           | 44,455                                  | 1,014                                   | 45,469                                  | 29,422                                     | 282                                        | 29,704                                     | 12668                       | 296                         |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh   | 585,326                                 | 42,187                                  | 627,513                                 | 266,901                                    | 27,976                                     | 294,877                                    | 310216                      | 12191                       |
| 12       | Maharashtra      | 397,897                                 | 11,259                                  | 409,156                                 | 199,667                                    | 8,668                                      | 208,335                                    | 170487                      | 2144                        |
| 13       | Odisha           | 732,751                                 | 36,637                                  | 769,388                                 | 464,288                                    | 9,352                                      | 473,640                                    | 145762                      | 578                         |
| 14       | Rajasthan        | 113,162                                 | 5,213                                   | 118,375                                 | 49,215                                     | 2,551                                      | 51,766                                     | 63466                       | 2455                        |
| 15       | Tamil Nadu       | 33,119                                  | 1,548                                   | 34,667                                  | 15,442                                     | 1,066                                      | 16,508                                     | 12293                       | 418                         |
| 16       | Telangana        | 651,822                                 | 3,427                                   | 655,249                                 | 230,735                                    | 721                                        | 231,456                                    | 92744                       | 1682                        |
| 17       | Tripura          | 200,557                                 | 164                                     | 200,721                                 | 127,931                                    | 101                                        | 128,032                                    | 68785                       | 63                          |
| 18       | Uttar Pradesh    | 92,972                                  | 1,194                                   | 94,166                                  | 22,537                                     | 893                                        | 23,430                                     | 70435                       | 301                         |
| 19       | Uttarakhand      | 3,587                                   | 3,091                                   | 6,678                                   | 184                                        | 1                                          | 185                                        | 3403                        | 3090                        |
| 20       | West Bengal      | 131,962                                 | 10,119                                  | 142,081                                 | 44,444                                     | 686                                        | 45,130                                     | 87333                       | 9254                        |
| 21       | Jammu &Kashmir   | 33,233                                  | 12,857                                  | 46,090                                  | 429                                        | 5,591                                      | 6,020                                      | 32727                       | 7197                        |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL            | 4,944,101                               | 213,231                                 | 5,157,332                               | 2,392,545                                  | 122,229                                    | 2,514,774                                  | 1,820,578                   | 53,160                      |

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