Question : DISPLACEMENT OF TRIBALS

(a) whether the Government is aware of a large number of tribals being displaced from their dwelling sites in the name of development;

(a) if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether a large scale rejection of claims under the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has resulted in displacement of these tribals;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto; and

(d) the action taken/being taken by the Government to protect the rights of these tribals and to compensate and rehabilitate them?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RANEE NARAH)

(a) & (b): The Government is aware that displacement of Scheduled Tribe People takes place during various development projects. As per information received from the Department of Land Resources, the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 2007 has been formulated to address this problem. The Policy provides for addressing the basic minimum requirements in all projects which lead to involuntary displacement. The policy has been circulated to various States/UTs for implementation.

(c) & (d): Displacement of tribals due to rejection of claims under the Scheduled Tribes & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Right) Act, 2006, has not been reported to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

(e): Section 4(5) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 provides that no member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe or other traditional forest dwellers shall be evicted or removed from forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete. Further, the Ministry has issued comprehensive guidelines to the State/UT Governments on 12.07.2012 and amended the Forest Rights Rules on 06.09.2012 to ensure that rights of the forest dwelling STs and other traditional forest dwellers are recognized under the Scheduled Tribes & other traditional forest dwellers (recognition of forest right) Act, 2006, and wrongful rejection of claims does not take place.