My FRA claim was rejected but I was never given any written reason. How does RTI help establish the basis for rejection and whether the correct procedure was followed?

Under the FRA Rules, 2008, a claim cannot be rejected without following a prescribed procedure: the Forest Rights Committee (FRC) must physically verify the land, record the Gram Sabha's view, and pass a resolution; the SDLC must give the claimant an opportunity to be heard before rejecting. If a claim was rejected without following these steps, it is procedurally invalid. Through RTI, ask for: (1) the specific written reason for rejection and the provision of the FRA Rules under which the rejection was made; (2) whether a physical verification / field visit was conducted by the FRC and the date of that visit; (3) a copy of the Gram Sabha resolution on the claim; (4) whether the claimant was given an opportunity to be heard at the SDLC or DLC level. If the RTI response confirms that no physical verification was done, no Gram Sabha resolution was passed, or no hearing was given, this is directly actionable — the claimant can appeal to the DLC (if rejected at SDLC) and, in parallel, file a complaint with the State Tribal Welfare Department or the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Many High Courts have set aside FRA rejections on exactly these procedural grounds.

The title deed (patta) was approved by the District Level Committee but has never been delivered to us. What RTI questions help locate the patta?

Delays in patta delivery are a common problem — the title deed may have been issued at the DLC level but never transmitted to the Tehsildar or the Gram Panchayat for delivery, or it may have been delivered to a local official who has not handed it over. Through RTI with the District Collector's Office (DLC), ask: (1) the date on which the title deed for Claim No. [XXX] in the name of [Name] was approved and issued by the DLC; (2) the survey/khasra number and area recorded in the title deed; (3) whether the title has been entered in the Record of Rights (RoR) / land records of the relevant village; (4) to whom the title deed was physically delivered — the name and designation of the official who took custody and the date of delivery; (5) the date on which the title was forwarded to the Tehsildar / Gram Panchayat for onward delivery to the beneficiary. These questions create a paper trail that locates exactly where the patta is currently held and who is responsible for non-delivery, enabling a direct complaint to the Sub-Divisional Officer.

The Forest Department is objecting to our Gram Sabha's Community Forest Rights (CFR) claim. How does RTI surface the grounds of their objection?

Forest Department objections to CFR claims are a significant obstacle — but the department's objections must be recorded in writing and considered formally by the SDLC and DLC; they cannot simply block a claim informally. Through RTI with the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and the SDLC / DLC, ask: (1) whether the Forest Department has filed any objection(s) to the CFR claim of Gram Sabha [Name] — if yes, a copy of the written objection; (2) the specific grounds on which the Forest Department objected, and whether those grounds cite any provision of the Forest Conservation Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, or any other statute; (3) the date on which the Forest Department's objection was forwarded to the SDLC, and what response the SDLC gave; (4) whether the Gram Sabha was given an opportunity to respond to the Forest Department's objection before the SDLC or DLC made its decision. Many CFR claims are stalled by informal Forest Department pressure rather than formal written objections — RTI forces the objection (if any) into the written record where it can be contested. If no written objection exists but the claim is still stalled, the RTI establishes that delay has no formal basis, which supports an escalation to the State Tribal Department or the DLC.

What is the difference between filing RTI with the District Collector and filing RTI with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs?

FRA implementation is primarily a state government function. The Forest Rights Committee (FRC), Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC), and District Level Committee (DLC) — chaired by the District Collector — are all state-level bodies. The State Tribal Welfare Department oversees implementation within the state. RTI filed with any of these bodies goes to a State public authority, and the second appeal (under Section 19(3)) goes to the State Information Commission (SIC) of the relevant state. Use state-level RTI when you need: status of a specific individual or community claim; rejection reasons; title deed delivery status; district-level statistics; or Forest Department objection grounds. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the Central Government body that funds and monitors FRA implementation nationally, sets policy guidelines, and receives state-reported data. RTI filed with the Ministry goes to a Central public authority and the second appeal is the Central Information Commission (CIC). Use Ministry-level RTI when you need: national / state-wise FRA statistics; Ministry advisories or directives on FRA procedure; monitoring or inspection reports; or information about the Ministry's own policies and correspondence with states. For most individual claimants seeking information about their own claim, the relevant RTI is with the District Collector / DLC / State Tribal Department, not the Ministry.

What should I do if the District Collector's office or State Tribal Department does not respond to my RTI within 30 days?

If the PIO at the District Collector's Office or State Tribal Department fails to respond within 30 days of receipt of your RTI application, your next step is a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act. File the First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) — typically a senior officer in the same office (e.g., the Additional District Collector for a District Collector's office RTI, or a senior officer in the State Tribal Welfare Department). The First Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. In the appeal, state that no response was received within 30 days and request that the information be provided. If the FAA also does not respond within 30 days, or provides an unsatisfactory response, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) with your State Information Commission (SIC). Each state has its own SIC with an online portal or postal address for receiving second appeals. The SIC can direct the PIO to provide the information and, under Section 20 of the RTI Act, impose a penalty of Rs. 250 per day (up to Rs. 25,000) on the PIO for delay without reasonable cause.

Home/Guides/How to File RTI for Forest Rights Act (FRA) — Tribal Land Claim Status and Title Deed

Central Government

How to File RTI for Forest Rights Act (FRA) — Tribal Land Claim Status and Title Deed

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI for Forest Rights Act (Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, 2006) — covering individual and community forest rights claim status, title deed issuance delays, claim rejection reasons, Gram Sabha FRC proceedings, and district-level adjudication. File with District Collector / State Tribal Department (second appeal: State SIC) for individual cases; Ministry of Tribal Affairs (second appeal: CIC) for policy data. Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Tribal Affairs

Address RTI ToCPIO, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001 / PIO, District Collector's Office / State Tribal Welfare Department (relevant state)

Application Fee₹10 under RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Free for BPL cardholders.

Response Time30 days from receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). 48 hours if the matter involves life or liberty.

File Online Athttps://rtionline.gov.in

All information on this page is based on the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005) and the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. First Appeal: Section 19(1). Second Appeal to CIC/SIC: Section 19(3).

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, commonly known as the Forest Rights Act (FRA), recognises and vests the long-denied forest rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) who have been occupying and cultivating forest land before 13 December 2005. The Act corrects a historical injustice by converting decades of occupation into legally recognised rights — through individual title deeds (pattas) for individual claimants and community forest right titles for Gram Sabhas.

FRA implementation is carried out by a three-tier state government structure — Forest Rights Committees at the Gram Sabha level, Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLC), and District Level Committees (DLC) chaired by the District Collector. All of these are "public authorities" under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, and are obligated to provide information within 30 days. The Central Government body overseeing the scheme — the Ministry of Tribal Affairs — is also a public authority, and an RTI to the Ministry is handled by the Central Information Commission (CIC) on second appeal.

RTI is a powerful tool for FRA claimants because the most common failures in implementation — claims rejected without reasons, title deeds withheld after approval, CFR claims stalled by Forest Department pressure — all leave paper trails in official records that RTI can surface.

FRA Claim Process: Three-Tier Structure

Tier	Body	Role	RTI Use	Second Appeal
Tier 1 — Gram Sabha	Forest Rights Committee (FRC)	Receives claims, scrutinises evidence, conducts physical verification, prepares maps, passes Gram Sabha resolution	Gram Sabha resolution, FRC physical verification report, whether FRC forwarded claim to SDLC	State Information Commission
Tier 2 — Sub-District	Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC), chaired by Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO/Tehsildar)	Reviews FRC recommendations; can approve, modify, or reject claims for IFR (up to 1 ha in some states); forwards larger / CFR claims to DLC	SDLC recommendation, whether claimant was given hearing, date of forwarding to DLC	State Information Commission
Tier 3 — District	District Level Committee (DLC), chaired by District Collector	Final authority on individual forest rights; approves Community Forest Rights (CFR) titles; issues title deeds	Approval/rejection order, rejection reasons, title deed issuance date, entry in land records	State Information Commission
Central oversight	Ministry of Tribal Affairs, New Delhi	Policy, funding, monitoring, national data	National/state-wise statistics, Ministry advisories, inspection reports	Central Information Commission (CIC)

Types of Forest Rights Covered by the FRA

Individual Forest Rights (IFR): A forest-dwelling ST or OTFD household that has been cultivating forest land before 13 December 2005 can claim an individual title of up to 4 hectares. The title is issued jointly in the names of both spouses (if applicable). RTI questions for IFR: claim status at each tier, rejection reasons, physical verification records, title deed issuance and delivery, entry in revenue records.

Community Forest Rights (CFR): A Gram Sabha can claim community rights over forest land traditionally used for community purposes — grazing, seasonal cultivation, water bodies, community facilities, and nistar rights. CFR titles are significantly larger and are issued in the name of the Gram Sabha. RTI questions for CFR: status of Gram Sabha's CFR claim at SDLC/DLC, Forest Department objections (if any), date of CFR title issuance, demarcation of boundaries.

Developmental Rights (Section 3(2)): Gram Sabhas can also claim rights to use or manage community forest resources (CFR Management), and rights to developmental facilities (schools, hospitals, roads) within forest areas. RTI can be used to check the status of Section 3(2) claims and whether the required consent under the Forest Conservation Act was obtained.

Common Problems RTI Can Address

Problem	RTI Question	What to Do With the Response
Claim rejected without written reason	Ask for the specific rejection reason and the FRA Rule provision cited; ask whether a physical verification was done	If no written reason or no verification, appeal to DLC / file complaint with State Tribal Department
Title deed approved but not delivered	Ask for date of DLC approval, survey number, who holds the patta, whether entry made in RoR	Escalate to Sub-Divisional Officer with the paper trail
CFR claim stalled at SDLC	Ask for SDLC recommendation, Forest Department written objection (if any), date of receipt of FRC's recommendation	If no formal objection exists, seek DLC's intervention
Wrong area recorded in title deed	Ask for a copy of the title deed and the GPS map submitted with the claim	Challenge the recording before the DLC with both documents
Claim showing as pending for years	Ask which tier the claim is pending at and the reason for delay at that tier	Escalate to higher tier or file complaint with District Collector
District statistics not disclosed publicly	Ask for district-wise IFR/CFR approved, rejected, pending figures	Use for advocacy / comparison with state government public data

Where to File

A. State-Level RTI (District Collector / SDLC / State Tribal Department)

For any question about a specific individual or community claim — claim status, rejection reasons, title deed, Gram Sabha proceedings, district statistics — the relevant public authority is a state government body. File RTI with the PIO of:

The District Collector's Office (for DLC decisions, title deed issuance, and district statistics)
The Sub-Divisional Officer's Office (for SDLC decisions and forwarding records)
The State Tribal Welfare Department (for state-level FRA implementation data)
The Gram Panchayat / Gram Sabha (for FRC proceedings and Gram Sabha resolutions, where Gram Panchayats are designated as public authorities in your state)

Most states have their own RTI portal or accept written applications at the relevant office. Check your state government's official RTI page for the online portal or the designated PIO's address.

Second appeal for state-level RTI: Your State Information Commission (SIC). Each state has its own SIC.

B. Central-Level RTI (Ministry of Tribal Affairs)

For policy-level information, national or state-wise FRA statistics, Ministry advisories, and Ministry-level monitoring data, file with the CPIO, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001.

You can file online at rtionline.gov.in → Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Second appeal for Ministry of Tribal Affairs RTI: The Central Information Commission (CIC).

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

The current status of FRA claim No. XXX filed by Claimant Name — whether pending at FRC, SDLC, or DLC; or approved/rejected; and the date of the last action at any tier.
The specific written reason for rejection of Claim No. XXX, the FRA Rule provision cited, and whether a physical verification / field visit was conducted by the FRC before the claim was rejected.
Whether the SDLC gave the claimant an opportunity to be heard before making its recommendation.
The date on which the title deed for Claim No. XXX was issued, the survey/khasra number and area recorded, and whether the title has been entered in the Revenue Record of Rights (RoR) and delivered to the beneficiary.
The status of the Community Forest Rights (CFR) claim of Gram Sabha Name — whether the CFR title has been issued; if not, the reason; if yes, the area demarcated and whether the Gram Sabha has received the title document.
Any written objection filed by the Forest Department against the claim / CFR of Gram Sabha Name, and what response the SDLC or DLC gave to that objection.
The total number of IFR claims filed, approved, rejected, and pending in District Name for financial year XXXX-XX, along with the recorded rejection reasons.
Whether the GPS map submitted with Claim No. XXX matches the area recorded in the issued title deed — a copy of both the submitted map and the title deed.

Appeals

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If the PIO does not respond within 30 days, or provides incomplete/unsatisfactory information, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the same office (e.g., Additional District Collector for a District Collector's office RTI) within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable.

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)):

For RTIs filed with state-level bodies (District Collector / DLC, SDLC, State Tribal Welfare Department, Gram Panchayat): file the second appeal with your State Information Commission (SIC) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the FAA's 30-day response period.
For RTIs filed with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Central Government): file the second appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days.

Under Section 20 of the RTI Act, the SIC or CIC can impose a penalty of ₹250 per day on the PIO for delay without reasonable cause, up to a maximum of ₹25,000.

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Public Information Officer (PIO),
[District Collector's Office / Sub-Divisional Officer's Office / State Tribal Welfare Department]
[District Name, State]

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — Status of Forest Rights Act Claim, Title Deed Issuance, and Related Records

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], residing at [Village, Gram Panchayat, Block, District, State], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, to seek the following information related to the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA 2006):

Claim details:
  Claimant Name: [Full Name of Claimant]
  Claim Number (if allotted): [Claim No. / FRA Claim ID]
  Type of Claim: [Individual Forest Rights (IFR) / Community Forest Rights (CFR)]
  Village / Gram Sabha: [Name]
  Block / Tehsil: [Name]
  District: [Name]
  State: [Name]
  Approximate area claimed: [in hectares]
  Date of submission of claim to Forest Rights Committee (FRC): [DD/MM/YYYY]

Information sought:

1. The current status of the FRA claim submitted by [Claimant Name] bearing Claim No. [XXX] — specifically whether the claim is pending at the Forest Rights Committee (FRC / Gram Sabha level), the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC), or the District Level Committee (DLC); or whether it has been approved or rejected. If approved, the date of approval. If rejected, the date of rejection.

2. If the claim has been rejected at any level (FRC, SDLC, or DLC) — the specific reason(s) for rejection in writing, the provision of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2008, under which the rejection was made, and whether a physical verification / field visit was conducted by the FRC prior to rejection as required under Rule 12A of the FRA Rules.

3. Whether a title deed (patta/patrika) has been issued for Claim No. [XXX] — if yes, the date of issuance, the extent of land recorded in the title deed, and whether the title has been entered in the revenue / land records (RoR) and delivered to the beneficiary [Name]. If not delivered, the reason for non-delivery and the current custodian of the title deed.

4. A copy of the Gram Sabha resolution pertaining to Claim No. [XXX] as passed by the Forest Rights Committee (FRC) of Gram Sabha [Name], and the date on which the FRC recommendation was forwarded to the SDLC.

5. Whether the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC) has forwarded the claim to the District Level Committee (DLC) with its recommendation — if yes, the date of forwarding and the SDLC's recommendation (approved / rejected / modified). If not forwarded, the reason for the delay.

6. The total number of individual FRA claims (IFR) filed, approved, rejected, and pending in [District Name] for the financial year [XXXX-XX], along with the most common reasons recorded for rejection of claims.

--- Alternative block for Ministry of Tribal Affairs ---
[Use the block below if filing RTI with the CPIO, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, New Delhi, for national or policy-level data]

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
Ministry of Tribal Affairs,
Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — National-level FRA Implementation Data and Policy Information

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], [Your Address], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, to seek the following information:

1. State-wise data on total individual FRA claims (IFR) filed, approved, rejected, and pending as of the latest available date — as reported by states to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

2. State-wise data on Community Forest Rights (CFR) claims filed, approved, and pending as of the latest available date.

3. Whether the Ministry has issued any advisory or directive to state governments regarding the procedure for rejection of FRA claims, particularly the requirement for physical verification and Gram Sabha resolution before rejection.

4. Copies of the last two annual reports / progress reports submitted by state governments to the Ministry on FRA implementation.

5. Any monitoring or inspection report prepared by the Ministry or its representatives regarding FRA implementation in [State Name] in the last three years.

---

I am enclosing the application fee of Rs. 10 [via online payment; Reference No.: [Payment Ref]].

I request the above information within 30 days as required under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Complete Address]
Phone: [Your 10-digit Mobile Number]
Email: [[email protected]]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Replace all text in [square brackets] with your actual details before filing. Do not include the brackets in your submission.

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