The Ministry of Tribal Affairs held a regional conference in Bengaluru to assess how five southern states are implementing the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Senior officials from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana gathered to review progress on distributing forest land rights to tribal communities and discuss next steps.
Current Status and Numbers
Across India, the Ministry reported that as of 30 June 2026, over 54 lakh individual forest rights claims have been filed. Of these, approximately 25.42 lakh titles have been distributed covering nearly 238 lakh acres. However, over 10 lakh claims still await resolution. Additionally, 19,845 Community Forest Rights have been formally recognised.
The five southern states showed varied progress:
- Andhra Pradesh: Distributed 2,27,300 individual and 1,225 community titles out of 2,90,874 claims received
- Telangana: Issued 2,30,735 individual and 102 community titles against 6,55,249 claims, with a fully digital system linked to state revenue records
- Karnataka: Distributed 16,700 titles from 2,95,176 applications, with 15,553 claims still under review
- Tamil Nadu: Issued 15,838 titles in the first phase and received 41,692 new claims in the second phase for verification
- Kerala: Recognised 29,545 individual and 286 community titles, with 1,616 individual and 108 community claims pending
The Ministry also instructed states to prioritise rights for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, integrate recognised rights into official land records, and develop state-specific timelines for clearing the backlog of pending claims.
What This Means for You
If you belong to a tribal community in these five states and have applied for forest rights under this Act, the conference indicates the government is pushing for faster decisions on pending claims. The emphasis on digitisation and linking forest rights with welfare schemes means your recognised title should eventually connect to bank loans, government schemes and revenue records more smoothly. However, resolution timelines will depend on how quickly each state implements the roadmaps discussed at this conference.