Srinagar, Aug 12 (KNO): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has released updated figures on the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, showing notable progress in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) regarding the legal recognition of forest rights for tribal and forest-dwelling communities.
As of May 31, 2025, a total of 46,090 claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) have been filed in Jammu & Kashmir, comprising 33,233 individual claims and 12,857 community claims, the figures accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), reveal.
Of these, the government has distributed 6,020 titles (429 individual and 5,591 community titles), providing formal legal entitlements to forest land and community resources.
Despite this progress, a substantial number of claims remain unresolved, with 39,924 applications still pending and only 146 claims rejected, indicating that the majority of claims await final verification and processing.
The Ministry continues to work closely with local authorities to expedite the disposal of pending claims.
The FRA safeguards the rights of forest dwellers by prohibiting evictions before rights are recognised and verified, ensuring protection for vulnerable tribal populations in J&K.
The Ministry has also issued joint advisories with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to prevent unlawful evictions and promote smooth implementation of the Act—(KNO)