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Bharatiya Janata Party · 2019
Claim
Lacks context
Delivery
Partly delivered
One in three claims has been rejected, and the rejections are not being explained. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs told Parliament on 23 July 2026 that of 54,01,561 claims filed under the Forest Rights Act since 2006, 25,42,359 have been approved with titles distributed and 18,13,232 have been rejected — 34 per cent refused. Over the last five years the pattern reverses oddly: 11,36,602 claims filed, 5,41,731 approved, only 29,524 rejected, and 5,65,347 still pending — half of recent claims are simply waiting. The Act requires reasons to be recorded and an appeal to be possible; the ministry's answer reports no analysis of why so many were refused, because implementation rests with state governments.
“Continuing our efforts to promote social and political empowerment, we will ensure that the rights of all forest dwellers are fully protected.”No CAG performance audit published
No CAG performance audit covering this scheme has been published. The absence of an audit is not evidence that the claim is either accurate or inaccurate.
No CAG audit of Forest Rights Act implementation covering this period has been tabled in a report we hold. The figures are compiled by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs from state monthly progress reports.
No audit period to plot — no CAG performance audit covering this scheme has been published.
54,01,561 claims filed, 25,42,359 approved and 18,13,232 rejected as on 30 June 2026
The Act is implemented in 20 states and one union territory. Approval and rejection are decisions of state-level committees; the Centre compiles the totals but does not decide claims.
Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 756, Disposal of Cases under Forest Rights Act, 2006 — answer by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
The 2019 manifesto's commitment to forest dwellers is a sentence of intent: "Continuing our efforts to promote social and political empowerment, we will ensure that the rights of all forest dwellers are fully protected."
The instrument that defines those rights is the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. It converts long occupation of forest land into legal title, individual and community, and it is the single most consequential land law for adivasi households in India.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs gave Parliament the cumulative position on 23 July 2026: "a total of 54,01,561 claims have been filed by Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs), out of which 25,42,359 claims have been approved (titles distributed), 18,13,232 claims have been rejected."
Thirty-four per cent of all claims ever filed have been refused. Under the Act a rejection must be reasoned, communicated and open to appeal at the sub-divisional and district level; in practice, studies of rejected claims have repeatedly found refusals issued without reasons, without hearing and without informing the claimant that an appeal exists. The ministry's answer, asked directly "whether the Government has assessed the reasons for the large number of rejected and pending claims", provides no analysis — it explains that "State Governments and UT Administrations are responsible for implementation of various provisions of the Act while the Ministry of Tribal compiles Monthly Progress Report received from the States/UTs."
The five-year numbers show a different problem. From 30 June 2021 to 30 June 2026, "a total of 11,36,602 claims have been filed, 5,41,731 Claims have been approved (Titles Distributed), 29,524 claims have been rejected and 5,65,347 claims are pending for decision." Rejections have almost stopped — 2.6 per cent of recent claims — but half the claims filed in the last five years have not been decided at all. A claim pending is a household without title, unable to access institutional credit against the land, and vulnerable to eviction if the forest department disputes possession.
The constitutional division is real: this is a state-implemented law and the Centre compiles rather than decides. But the promise was made by a national party about national policy, and the union ministry administers the Act, funds the states and issues the rules. "Fully protected" is not what 18 lakh rejections and 5.65 lakh undecided claims describe.
Our verdict is lacks context.
BJP Sankalp Patra 2019 — Lok Sabha election manifesto
“Through this Sankalp Patra, you would get a glimpse of the challenges of the yesteryears, the indomitable efforts made by 130 crore Indians to overcome those challenges and our collective vision for the future… There are two commitments that I am extremely passionate about — doubling of farmer income and housing for all, by the year 2022.”
Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 756, Disposal of Cases under Forest Rights Act, 2006 — answer by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
“FRA is being implemented in 20 States and 1 UT. As per the latest information reported by States and collated under MPR as on 30.06.2026, a total of 54,01,561 claims have been filed by Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDSTs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs), out of which 25,42,359 claims have been approved (titles distributed), 18,13,232 claims have been rejected… As per reports submitted by States/UT, during the last five years period, i.e. from 30.06.2021 to 30.06.2026, a total of 11,36,602 claims have been filed, 5,41,731 Claims have been approved (Titles Distributed), 29,524 claims have been rejected and 5,65,347 claims are pending for decision… State Governments and UT Administrations are responsible for implementation of various provisions of the Act while the Ministry of Tribal compiles Monthly Progress Report received from the States/UTs.”