Question : Forest Right Act

(a)whether it is true that the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 are not being implemented in Telangana;
(b) the number of STs and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OFTDs) who have been displaced from their land in the last five years, State/UT-wise and the reasons for their displacement;
(c) the number of complaints received by the Government regarding the violation of the Forest Rights Act in the last 5 years, State/UT wise and the details thereof; and
(d)whether the Government is considering/has implemented any plans to include forest dwellers and their interests in the protection and conservation of forests and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)
(a):As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (in short FRA) and rules thereunder, the responsibility for implementation of the Act lies with State Governments/UT Administrations. The FRA is being implemented in Telangana. As per the information received from State Government of Telangna a total of 97,536 (97,434 individual and 102 community) titles have been distributed upto 31.03.2022 under FRA.

(b): Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources (DoLR), which is the nodal Ministry dealing with land acquisition matter, have informed that the land acquisition undertaken by the Central and State Governments under various Central and State Acts, including the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act, 2013), which is being administered by DoLR and the provisions of RFCTLARR Act, 2013 are implemented by appropriate Government as defined under Section 3 (e) of the said Act. There is no central database relating to land acquisition for States or other Ministries / Department concerned including details of Displacement of Tribals.

Section 4 (5) of the FRA states that save as otherwise provided, no member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe of Other Traditional Forest Dweller shall be evicted or removed from the Forest Land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete.

(c):The Ministry has designated an officer as DirectorGrievances. Whenever a complaint /grievance is received by the Director Grievances or on CPGRAMS, in connection with FRA implementation it is attended to and replied upon suitably. The concerned State Government are also asked to take appropriate remedial action if the complaint/grievance is related to compliance of the provisions of FRA,as the responsibility for implementation of the Act lies with State Governments/UT Administrations.

(d): The forest dwellers are already included in the process of protection and conservation of forests. The Section 5 of FRA provides that the holders of any forest right holders, Gram Sabha and village level institutions in area where there are holders of any forest right under the Act are empowered to:


(a)protect the wild life, forest and biodiversity;

(b)ensure that adjoining catchments area, water sources and other ecological sensitive areas are adequately protected;

(c)ensure that the habitat of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers is preserved from any form of destructive practices affecting their cultural and natural heritage;

(d)ensure that the decisions taken in the Gram Sabha to regulate access to community forest resources and stop any activity which adversely affects the wild animals, forest and the biodiversity are complied with.

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