Srinagar: After a huge public outcry over issuance of eviction notices to tribal population and traditional forest dwellers and axing of apple trees by forest department officials, the government has started rolling out the Forest Rights Act 2006 (FRA) in Jammu & Kashmir.
A training schedule has been prepared by the Forest department wherein training will be imparted to Govt officers particularly Deputy Commissioners, Divisional Forest Officers (DFO’s) and Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDM’s) and other officers for implementing the Forest Rights Act in J&K.
Government has prepared a roster for a training programme on the Forest Rights Act so that this law could be implemented in J&K at different levels.
Under the level 1, the official members of District Level Committees (DLCs) will be provided the training which include Deputy Commissioners, Divisional Forest Officers (at District hq), District Panchayat Officers (DPO) – Other Senior Officers of Forest, Revenue, Rural Development and Tribal Affairs Department(s).
The online training will be 2 ½ hours, reads a handout prepared by the Forest Department. First online training session will start from Tuesday December 29th. The Forest Department would be imparting the training to these officers.
Under the level 2 training programme the sub divisional forest committee officials like SDMs, Range Officers, BDOs will be imparted 3 ½ hrs online training on Forest Rights Act 2006 (FRA) on 30th and 31st December at Jammu and Srinagar respectively.
For frontline functionaries of the Government like Naib Tehsildars & Patwaries , Block Foresters & Forest Guards one day offline training would be provided between January 1st to 8th .
Pertinent to mention that activists of Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement lead by Dr Raja Muzaffar along with affected tribal population and traditional forest dwellers of Budgam held some protest demonstrations over the issuance of eviction notices, axing of fruit trees and non-implementation of Forest Rights Act in J&K. Protest demonstration was held outside DC office Budgam and DFO office Pir Panjal Division as well.
Several national and international media gave coverage to this public outcry which prompted the Govt to start rolling out Forest Rights Act (FRA) in Jammu & Kashmir which otherwise was not being implemented on ground in spite of being extended to UT of J&K on October 31st 2019 soon after abrogation of Article 370.
While talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Chairman RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat who has been spearheading movement on FRA implementation in J&K has demanded that J&K Institute of Management Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD), Tribal Affairs Department J&K Govt and national level NGOs who have been conducting training courses on FRA in other states be also involved in training Govt officials. He said the RTI Movement will also come out with a training manual on FRA soon in the shape of a booklet.
“Panchayat members, village forest rights committees and local NGOs also need to be trained on FRA implementation and Govt must seriously think over it and organize training of trainers (ToT) workshops at district level to create more resource persons locally on FRA. There is a great role of civil society groups in it and they need to be taken on board” said Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat.
Pertinently, a video conference was held recently on FRA implementation by top Govt functionaries. The virtual meeting was addressed by the Principal Secretary, Home / Revenue Department Shaleen Kabra, Commissioner Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment Department, Sarita Chauhan, Secretary Tribal Affairs Department, Rehana Batul and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr. Mohit Gera. The action plan/roadmap for implementation of FRA was shared and discussed with the Deputy Commissioners. —(KNO)
