By The Sampadak Express
According to data tabled by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, around 745,000 forest rights claims are currently pending across states and union territories. These claims include both individual and community rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006.
Telangana tops the list with the highest number of unresolved claims, totaling approximately 329,000. Other states with significant pending claims include Odisha (109,000), Gujarat (84,644), Maharashtra (28,190), Chhattisgarh (13,495), and Jharkhand (20,679).
In response to a question from BJP MP Jaggesh, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durga Das Uikey emphasized that the Ministry has urged states to expedite the processing of claims within a specific timeframe.
As of now, the total number of settled claims across all states and UTs stands at 2,503,453, which includes 2,385,334 individual titles and 118,119 community titles. States like Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have made notable progress, distributing 228,473 and 294,877 titles, respectively.
To further streamline the process, the Ministry has recommended the creation of a “Tribal Atlas” in states to better identify eligible villages and improve transparency in FRA implementation. This initiative will aid in the faster processing of claims and allow for better decision-making. Some states, including Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, have already launched their FRA Atlas to support this effort.
Additionally, the Ministry has urged states to map potential forest areas and create an FRA Atlas to enhance identification, address implementation gaps, and ensure accountability in processing claims.
