The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) convened the Third Regional Review Conference on the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Senior officials from seven states/UTs - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir - reviewed implementation progress, discussed challenges, and identified priority actions. This conference concluded the regional review series following previous conferences in Bengaluru (10 September 2026) and Kolkata (9 October 2026).
National implementation data as of 31 August 2026 shows approximately 54 lakh claims received nationally, with 43.56 lakh (80.64%) disposed of, 25.42 lakh titles distributed covering nearly 238 lakh acres, 10.45 lakh claims pending, and 18.13 lakh rejected. The Ministry emphasized that every rejection must be supported by a reasoned order communicated to the claimant with statutory appeal rights preserved.
State-wise progress details were presented: Maharashtra distributed 2,03,510 individual and 8,821 community titles against 3,90,397 individual and 10,740 community claims, with CFR rights covering approximately 13.87 lakh acres. Gujarat distributed 1,00,747 individual and 3,879 community titles against 1,83,055 individual and 6,274 community claims, with CFR rights covering approximately 10.18 lakh acres. Jammu & Kashmir approved 6,191 claims out of 48,287 received and distributed 6,178 titles covering approximately 3,960 hectares. Himachal Pradesh granted 1,144 individual and 166 community titles against 6,546 individual and 791 community claims. Uttar Pradesh distributed 22,537 individual and 893 community titles against 92,972 individual and 1,194 community claims. Goa distributed 3,908 individual and 29 community titles against 9,983 individual and 401 community claims. Rajasthan distributed 49,383 individual and 2,531 community titles against 1,21,707 individual and 5,433 community claims.
The Ministry highlighted Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) and called for sustainable management and convergence of CFR Management Plans with Forest Department Working Plans, enabled by the joint communication of MoTA and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change dated 27 July 2026. States were urged to expedite Habitat Rights recognition for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), noting that rights have been recognized for only 11 of the country's 75 PVTGs.
Financial assistance mechanisms include ₹25 lakh per State under the Support to Tribal Research Institutes scheme for FRA mapping and ₹15 lakh per Community Forest Resource Management Plan under DA-JGUA, along with ₹1 lakh for technical support. Support for PVTG Habitat Rights is available under Ministry guidelines dated 5 January 2026.
The way forward includes preparing district-wise action plans identifying the stage and cause of delay for each pending claim, reviewing rejected claims with written reasons, submitting reconciled Monthly Progress Reports regularly, completing digitization and incorporation of recognized rights into revenue and forest records per the advisory dated 24 June 2026, developing PVTG-wise Habitat Rights roadmaps, strengthening convergence with livelihood and welfare schemes, and preparing capacity-building action plans with quarterly progress reviews through State Level Monitoring Committees chaired by Chief Secretaries.