(a) the percentage of success achieved in the process of distribution of the title deeds to the Scheduled Tribes (STs) as per the Forest Rights Act, State/UT-wise;
(b) whether the Government has urged the State Governments to withdraw the false criminal cases registered against the tribais in this regard; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJJBHAI VASAVA)
(a): As per the information collected from the State/UT Governments till 31st October, 2014, 38,72,055 claims have been filed and 14,97,881 titles have been distributed under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The percentage of total claims disposed of works out to 82.61% of the total number of claims filed under the Act. The State/UT wise details are given in the Annexure.
(b) & (c): A criminal case can be declared to be false only by a court of law after its final disposal. However, pursuant to the deliberations held in a two-day Conference of Chief Ministers, State Ministers (Tribal/Social Welfare and Forest Departments) to review the implementation of the Act and other tribal development welfare programmes on 4th-5th November, 2009, the Ministry had written to the State Governments on 19th November, 2009, emphasizing the need for withdrawal of petty cases against tribais related to forest laws which were pending in various courts as had been done in Jharkhand and in Madhya Pradesh in the past.