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5.36 Lakh Forest Rights Claims Recognized in 5 Years, Says Centre

The Centre has informed the Lok Sabha that 5.36 lakh forest rights claims have been recognized under the Forest Rights Act over the last five years. A total of 11.35 lakh claims were filed, leaving 5.88 lakh claims still pending at various levels. Union Minister Durgadas Uikey noted that implementation lies with states and UTs, which have been urged to settle claims in a time-bound manner. The Tribal Affairs Ministry has supported training for officials but has not conducted independent field verification of the process.

Key Points: 5.36 Lakh Forest Rights Claims Cleared Under FRA

  • 5.36 lakh claims recognized
  • 11.35 lakh total claims filed
  • 5.88 lakh claims still pending
  • Ministry pushes for time-bound settlement
2 min read

Centre says 5.36 lakh forest rights claims cleared in five years

Centre informs Lok Sabha that over 5.36 lakh forest rights claims have been recognized in five years, with states urged to resolve pending claims.

"5.36 lakh claims have been recognised - Durgadas Uikey"

New Delhi, March 23

As many as 5.36 lakh forest rights claims have been recognised during the last five years under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which seeks to correct historical injustices by recognising the land and resource rights of forest-dwelling communities, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said that, as per 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 recognised, while 5.88 lakh claims (5.70 lakh individual and 18,016 community) remain pending at various levels, the Minister of State said.

Sharing FRC details 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 were 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 recognised 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 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 bottlenecks, if any, 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 programmes, workshops and awareness campaigns for state officials, members of Forest Rights Committees and Gram Sabha representatives to strengthen understanding of statutory procedures and evidentiary requirements.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good to see progress, but the numbers tell two stories. Over 5 lakh recognised is an achievement, but nearly 6 lakh pending shows the system is still clogged. The ministry saying it hasn't done independent field verification is concerning. How do we know the rights are being granted correctly on the ground?
R
Rohit P
Finally some action on paper. My cousin's family in Odisha has been waiting for their claim for years. The training for officials is good, but the pace needs to match the promises. Jai Adivasi!
S
Sarah B
As an outsider working with an NGO here, I see both sides. The intent of the FRA is brilliant and much-needed for tribal empowerment. But the implementation gap between states is vast. Some are proactive, others are not. Central monitoring needs to be stronger than just review meetings.
V
Vikram M
The Uttar Pradesh example is interesting. Only 434 new claims filed in 5 years? But they processed 67 pending and reconsidered over 4000 rejected ones. Seems like the focus there was on clearing old backlog, which is actually a good strategy. Other states should also review rejected claims fairly.
K
Karthik V
Recognition of rights is one thing, protection is another. Now that land is being granted, what about support for sustainable livelihoods? Without that, these communities remain vulnerable. The government's next step should be a comprehensive development package.

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