Lok Sabha Question No. 1195 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-07
Subject: Lease of Forest Land to Tribals
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1195 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2015

## LEASE OF FOREST LAND TO TRIBALS

## 1195:       SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN: SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  State/UT-wise details of the total number of tribals and other forest  dwellers settled on forest land in the country including the State of Maharashtra:
- (b) whether the Government has proposed to grant lease of settlement of tribals settled on forest land by launching special drive and if so, the action plan of the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has also proposed to recognize the villages settled on forest land as revenue villages and grant right to hold lease to the forest dwellers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA)

(a):    Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  administers  the  implementation  of  the  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA, 2006 in short) wherein preexisting rights of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers are recognized and vested. The responsibility for implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006 lies with State/UT Governments. As per information received from the State/UT Governments, details of the total number of claims received and number of titles distributed state-wise including the State of Maharashtra are enclosed as Annex.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs does not have the number of tribals and other forest dwellers settled on forest land in the country including the State of Maharashtra. There is no provision in Forest Rights Act, 2006 for grant of lease settlement of tribals settled on forest land by launching special drive and hence, there is no action plan as such.

(b):    Government  has  been  emphasizing  expeditious  implementation  of  the  Forest  Rights  Act,  2006 especially  in  the  States  of  Himachal  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand,  Jharkhand,  Bihar,  Karnataka,  Kerala, Telangana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  West  Bengal  where  progress  of  implementation  is  slow.    A  series  of consultations, training workshops, video conferences, letters, visits etc. have been undertaken towards this.

(c) & (d):   Forest Rights Act, 2006 provides for conversion of Forest Villages into -Revenue Villages as one  of  the  forest  rights  conferred  on  forest  dwelling  Scheduled  Tribes  and  other  traditional  forest dwellers. Ministry of Tribal Affairs has issued on 08.11.2013 a detailed guideline on conversion of all forest villages, old habitations, unsurveyed villages etc. into revenue villages under Section 3(1)(h) of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. The guideline primarily clarify issues during its implementation in the field.

## Annex referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1195 for 07.12.2015 asked by Shri Harishchandra Chavan and Shri Rajeshbhai Chudasama regarding "Lease of Forest Land to Tribals"

## Statement of Claims and distribution of title deeds under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 as on 30.09.2015

| S. No.   | States              | No. of Claims received   | No. of Claims received   | No. of Claims received   | No. of Titles Distributed   | No. of Titles Distributed   | No. of Titles Distributed   |
|----------|---------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| S. No.   | States              | Individua l              | Community                | Total                    | Individua l                 | Community                   | Total                       |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh      | 400,053                  | 10,959                   | 411,012                  | 167,263                     | 2,107                       | 169,370                     |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh   |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 3        | Assam               | 126,718                  | 5,193                    | 131,911                  | 35,407                      | 860                         | 36,267                      |
| 4        | Bihar               | 8,022                    |                          | 8,022                    | 222                         |                             | 222                         |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh        | 860,364                  |                          | 860,364                  | 347,789                     |                             | 347,789                     |
| 6        | Goa                 |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 7        | Gujarat             | 182,869                  | 7,228                    | 190,097                  | 72,970                      | 3,875                       | 76,845                      |
| 8        | Himachal Pradesh    | 5,409                    | 283                      | 5,692                    | 238                         | 108                         | 346                         |
| 9        | Jharkhand           | 80,819                   | 2,734                    | 83,553                   | 41,691                      | 1,434                       | 43,125                      |
| 10       | Karnataka           | 366,021                  | 6,208                    | 372,229                  | 8,159                       | 144                         | 8,303                       |
| 11       | Kerala              | 36,140                   | 1,395                    | 37,535                   | 24,599                      |                             | 24,599                      |
| 12       | Madhya Pradesh      | 561,588                  | 40,913                   | 602,501                  | 192,929                     | 21,727                      | 214,656                     |
| 13       | Maharashtra         | 346,017                  | 7,152                    | 353,169                  | 105,856                     | 3,436                       | 109,292                     |
| 14       | Manipur             |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 15       | Meghalaya           |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 16       | Mizoram             |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 17       | Nagaland            |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 18       | Odisha              | 598,373                  | 7,727                    | 610,992                  | 347,172                     | 2,910                       | 352,172                     |
| 19       | Rajasthan           | 69,121                   | 654                      | 69,775                   | 34,779                      | 69                          | 34,848                      |
| 20       | Sikkim              |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 21       | Tamil Nadu          | 18,420                   | 3,361                    | 21,781                   | 3,723                       |                             | 3,723                       |
| 22       | Telangana           | 211,698                  | 3,672                    | 215,370                  | 99,486                      | 744                         | 100,230                     |
| 23       | Tripura             | 191,376                  | 277                      | 191,653                  | 122,528                     | 55                          | 122,583                     |
| 24       | Uttar Pradesh       | 92,520                   | 1,124                    | 93,644                   | 17,712                      | 843                         | 18,555                      |
| 25       | Uttarakhand         | 182                      |                          | 182                      |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 26       | West Bengal         | 131,962                  | 10,119                   | 142,081                  | 38,691                      | 373                         | 39,122                      |
| 27       | A &NIslands         |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 28       | Daman &Diu          |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
| 29       | Dadar &Nagar Haveli |                          |                          | 0                        |                             |                             | 0                           |
|          | Total               | 4,287,672                | 108,999                  | 4,401,563                | 1,661,214                   | 38,685                      | 1,702,047                   |