DISPLACEMENT OF STs IN TIGER RESERVE AREAS

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs informed Parliament that the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) examines complaints of rights deprivation, including the displacement of Scheduled Tribes from tiger reserves. Relocation of villages from core tiger habitats is voluntary under Section 38 V(5) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 2006 and Section 4(2) of the Forest Rights Act 2006, guided by the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s 2012 guidelines. State governments and UT administrations implement relocation through District‑Level Committees, offering a rehabilitation package that was increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹15 lakh per family in 2021. The process requires Gram Sabha consent, and no reports of involuntary relocation have been received by monitoring committees.