New Delhi, March 23 – As many as 5.36 lakh claims for forest rights have been recognized over the past five years under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, which aims to correct historical injustices by recognizing the land and resource rights of communities living in forests, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, said that according to information provided by states and Union Territories, between March 1, 2021, and March 1, 2026, a total of 11.35 lakh (10.71 lakh individual and 64,603 community) forest rights claims (FRCs) have been filed.
Out of these, a total of 5.36 lakh claims (4.89 lakh individual and 46,687 community) have been recognized, while 5.88 lakh claims (5.70 lakh individual and 18,016 community) remain pending at various levels, the Minister of State said.
Sharing details of FRCs provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, Uikey said that during the last five years, a total of 434 claims (402 individual and 32 community) have been filed. Of these, 67 pending claims have been processed, while 4,104 previously rejected claims have been reconsidered after review. A total of 4,605 claims (4,573 individual and 32 community) have been recognized in the state.
Noting that the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, primarily lies with the respective state and Union Territory administrations, he said that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has asked states and UTs in various review meetings to consider claims under the FRA in a time-bound manner and engage with districts to resolve any bottlenecks in the settlement of claims.
He said that MoTA has not conducted any field verification or independent evaluation regarding compliance with statutory procedures, the functioning of Gram Sabhas, or the capacity of implementing authorities.
Uikey added that the Ministry has supported training programs, workshops, and awareness campaigns for state officials, members of Forest Rights Committees, and Gram Sabha representatives to strengthen their understanding of statutory procedures and evidentiary requirements.
