Question : Lease of Forest Land to Tribals

(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?

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 pre-existing 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.

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