LG to handover Forest Rights documents to beneficiaries from Kashmir on Sept 13

“Lt Governor will hand over the Forest Rights statutory documents as approved by the competent authority in a ceremony scheduled to be held at SKICC on 13 September in presence of the respective Deputy Commissioners,” reads a communication issued by Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department and Chief Executive Officer, Mission Youth, J&K, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.

The communication referred to Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Budgam, and Kupwara as the beneficiaries from these districts would get Forest Rights statutory documents from the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha during the ceremony.

“Twenty participants from each district including the beneficiaries will attend the programme,” it reads.

Whereas, the DCs of the 10 Kashmir districts have also been asked to recommend two projects of community rights like PHCs, schools, anganwadi centres, power, and roads with ceiling of Rs 10 lakh per project for announcement in the ceremony by the chief guest Lt Governor,” the official communication said.

It said that tentative estimation might be done accordingly and funds should be provided by the Tribal Affairs Department.

They have also sought details about the claims received, approved, rejected or others both in individual and community rights cases from the DCs of the 10 Kashmir districts.

“A similar ceremony will also be organised in Jammu,” an official said.

Tribal Researcher Javaid Rahi, who struggled hard for FRA and held awareness camps besides helping government agencies in the implementation of the act in J&K said, “It is a historic step to correct the injustice meted out to the tribal people and other forest dwellers of J&K for centuries.

” He said that the 'Pattas' of the Forest land which would be distributed by Lt Governor to the tribals and forest dwellers would give back rights to freely access, independently manage, use and govern the forest land and all other resources related to forests, which were earlier solely controlled by the Forest department.