FOREST RIGHTS ACT, 2006 IN WEST BENGAL
FOREST RIGHTS ACT, 2006 IN WEST BENGAL
Replying today an un-starred question of Shri Ganesh Singh the Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed Lok Sabha today that as per the provisions of ‘The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition Of Forest Rights) Act, 2006’ and Rules made thereunder, the State Governments are responsible for implementation of various provisions of the Act and are being implemented in 20 States (including West Bengal) and 1 UT. Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) monitors the Monthly Progress Reports submitted by States/UTs. As reported by the State Government of West Bengal, FRA is being implemented in Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts of Jangalmahal region in West Bengal.
The status of claims received, titles distributed and Extent of Forest Land for which titles distributed alongwith claims rejected and claims pending in Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts of Jangalmahal region, as last reported by State Government of West Bengal vide their letter dated 04.09.2023 is as under:
District
No. of Claims received
No. of Titles Distributed
Extent of Forest land for which titles distributed (in Hectares)
Claims rejected
Claims pending
Individual
Community
Total
Individual
Community
Total
Individual
Community
Total
Jhargram
20753
164
20917
9392
72
9464
982.11
15.73
997.84
11453
0
Purulia
38499
1267
39766
7984
76
8060
1615.76
23.82
1639.58
31701
5
Bankura
34906
2653
37559
11894
210
12104
5464.86
378.51
5843.37
24809
646
Paschim Medinipur
28794
1096
29890
5216
17
5233
499.22
1.52
500.74
24511
146
Under the Forest Rights Act, the Forest-Dwelling Scheduled Tribes who have been residing on and cultivating forest land prior to 13th December 2005, are entitled to individual or community rights over such land. FRA under Section 3 (1) recognizes 13 different usufruct rights, including under Section 3(1)(a), the right to hold and live in the forest land under the individual or common occupation for habitation or for self-cultivation for livelihood.All these rights are heritable but not alienable or transferable ( Section 4(4)).