The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Government of India, held the Third Regional Review Conference on the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, on October 23, 2026. Senior officials from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir reviewed progress, discussed implementation challenges and identified priority actions.
The conference concluded the regional review series, following earlier meetings in Bengaluru on September 10 and Kolkata on October 9, 2026.
Jammu & Kashmir Tribal Affairs Minister Javed Ahmed Rana emphasised that the Forest Rights Act (FRA) safeguards the dignity, livelihoods and future of forest-dependent communities. He called for transparent and timely disposal of claims, stronger coordination between departments and greater participation of Gram Sabhas. He also stressed that recognising forest rights, conserving forests and promoting sustainable development must progress together.
Mohd Mumtaz Ali, Director of the Tribal Affairs Department, Jammu & Kashmir, highlighted the region’s difficult terrain, dispersed settlements and seasonal pastoral movements, underlining the need for administrative arrangements suited to local conditions.
More Than 10 Lakh Claims Pending Nationwide
In his keynote address, Anant Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary, MoTA, presented the national implementation status as of August 31, 2026.
According to the figures shared at the conference, approximately 54 lakh claims had been received nationwide. Of these, 43.56 lakh claims, or 80.64%, had been disposed of. A total of 25.42 lakh titles had been distributed, covering nearly 238 lakh acres, while 10.45 lakh claims remained pending and 18.13 lakh had been rejected.
Pandey stressed that every rejected claim must be supported by a reasoned order communicated to the claimant, while preserving the statutory right to appeal. He urged states to prepare district-wise action plans to speed up pending claims and review rejected cases, particularly in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Himachal Pradesh.
He also called for stronger recognition of Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) and sustainable management of community forest resources. States were encouraged to align Community Forest Resource Management Plans with Forest Department Working Plans, following the joint communication issued by MoTA and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on July 27, 2026.
Incorporating recognised rights into revenue records can also help beneficiaries access PM-KISAN and agriculture, fisheries and livelihood schemes.
Another priority was the recognition of Habitat Rights for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). According to the conference, such rights have so far been recognised for only 11 of the country’s 75 PVTGs.
Other measures highlighted included quarterly meetings of State Level Monitoring Committees (SLMCs), regular Monthly Progress Reports, integration of state FRA records with the National FRA Portal through application programming interfaces (APIs), and the use of free FRA courses on iGOT for awareness and capacity building.
Financial Support and Capacity Building
Samidha Singh, Director (FRA), MoTA, outlined financial assistance available to support implementation. Under the Support to Tribal Research Institutes scheme, states can receive ₹25 lakh for FRA mapping. Under DA-JGUA, assistance includes ₹15 lakh per Community Forest Resource Management Plan and ₹1 lakh for technical support.
She also highlighted support for PVTG Habitat Rights under ministry guidelines dated January 5, 2026. States were urged to reconcile data discrepancies, strengthen Gram Sabhas, raise awareness, provide support after claims are approved and facilitate the preparation of Community Forest Resource Management Plans.
State-wise Progress Under the Forest Rights Act
Maharashtra: The state has distributed 2,03,510 individual titles and 8,821 community titles against 3,90,397 individual claims and 10,740 community claims. Community Forest Resource Rights cover approximately 13.87 lakh acres. The state has constituted 7,518 CFR Committees and prepared 1,875 management plans.
A Government Resolution dated July 10, 2026, provides separate Village Forms 7-E and 12-E for Individual Forest Rights holders, facilitating crop loans, Kisan Credit Cards, crop insurance and Direct Benefit Transfer. Examples from Jalgaon, Thane and Nashik highlighted improvements in farm income and water security.
Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: The district has distributed 34,813 titles, comprising 33,361 individual titles and 1,452 CFR titles, covering more than 5.56 lakh hectares. Of this, 5.16 lakh hectares fall under CFR rights.
The district has constituted 1,442 CFR Committees for 1,138 CFR Gram Sabhas and approved 391 management plans. It has entered 32,601 Individual Forest Rights titles into 7/12 revenue records, scanned 99.6% of case files and trained 3,630 Gram Sabha representatives through Project Ekal with Gondwana University.
Mapping by ISB Hyderabad estimated the district’s annual non-timber forest produce potential at ₹98 crore. Proposals included a dedicated CFR budget, committee guidelines, an online platform for non-timber forest produce sales and alignment of Forest Department Working Plans with CFR Management Plans.
Gujarat: The state has distributed 1,00,747 individual titles and 3,879 community titles against 1,83,055 individual claims and 6,274 community claims. CFR rights cover approximately 10.18 lakh acres.
Satellite verification with the GEER Foundation and state-sponsored FRA Cells is being used to address pending claims in Dahod, Sabarkantha, Panchmahal, Mahisagar and Chhota Udepur. The state identified Kotwalia, Kolgha, Kathodi, Siddi and Padhar as PVTGs and will submit a Habitat Rights Action Plan to MoTA.
Jammu & Kashmir: Of the 48,287 claims received, 6,191 have been approved by District Level Committees and 6,178 titles distributed, covering approximately 3,960 hectares, predominantly under community rights.
The Union Territory has a State Level Monitoring Committee under the Chief Secretary and District Level Committees in all 20 districts. A circular dated July 30, 2026, directs that eligible Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dweller families should not be evicted before due process is completed.
The administration sought clarifications on the continuation of non-official members of Sub-Divisional Level Committees and District Level Committees after District Development Council terms expire, Gram Sabha quorum requirements, the use of satellite imagery as evidence, a one-time window to review rejected claims, and funding for awareness and capacity building.
Himachal Pradesh: Up to March 2026, the state had granted 1,144 individual titles and 166 community titles against 6,546 individual claims and 791 community claims. Community rights cover 27,624 hectares, mainly in Chamba and Kinnaur.
Instructions on entering community titles into records were issued in April 2022, followed by instructions for individual titles in February 2026. The state launched an FRA Calendar in April 2025, conducted workshops and held three SLMC meetings. Following committee reconstitution after the May 2026 Panchayat elections, DLC and SDLC meetings at least three times a month are planned.
Uttar Pradesh: The state has distributed 22,537 individual titles and 893 community titles against 92,972 individual claims and 1,194 community claims. A total of 14,339 titles have been incorporated into records.
The state is reviewing rejected claims, particularly in Sonbhadra and Chandauli, and has set January 30, 2027, as the deadline for completing the incorporation of records in the remaining districts. The Buxa community in Bijnor was identified as a PVTG.
Goa: The state has distributed 3,908 individual titles and 29 community titles against 9,983 individual claims and 401 community claims.
Goa launched its FRA Atlas on May 25, 2026, engaged a private agency for surveys and demarcation, constituted special committees under Joint Mamlatdars in six talukas and provided spot-verification allowances to Forest Rights Committee members. Revenue records are updated automatically after title distribution, with DLCs meeting fortnightly and SDLCs weekly.
Rajasthan: As of September 30, 2026, the state had distributed 49,383 individual titles and 2,531 community titles against 1,21,707 individual claims and 5,433 community claims. Of the titles distributed, 40,045 have been incorporated into revenue and forest records, while 11,869 incorporations remain pending.
Centre Calls for Time-Bound Action Plans
At the conclusion of the conference, MoTA called on states and the Union Territory to prepare district-wise action plans identifying the stage and cause of delays in pending claims and the authority responsible for resolving them.
States were also asked to review rejected claims with written reasons and the right of petition, submit reconciled Monthly Progress Reports regularly, and complete digitisation and incorporation of recognised rights into revenue and forest records in line with the advisory dated June 24, 2026.
The ministry further urged states to develop PVTG-specific Habitat Rights roadmaps, strengthen coordination with livelihood and welfare schemes, prepare capacity-building action plans and review progress quarterly through SLMCs chaired by the Chief Secretary.
The conference concluded with a valedictory address by the Joint Secretary, MoTA, followed by a vote of thanks from the Deputy Director of the Tribal Research Institute, Jammu & Kashmir UT Administration.