BUDGAM: An expert group from Govt of India (GoI) under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Tuesday visited Khansahib area of Budgam district to assess the implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA) in J&K, in particular District Budgam. The team which consisted of four members on Monday had visited Kupwara where they heard members from scheduled tribe community and held a meeting with the local Deputy Commissioner as well.
The group led by V Giri Rao and Priya Tayde on Tuesday visited Khansahib area of Budgam where they held a public hearing at village Watrad. The local ST population and other traditional forest dwellers (OTFD) and Chopan community representatives were also present. The meeting was facilitated by Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement in association with the Rural Development Department.
V Giri Rao, the expert group member of Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), said that mass awareness is needed in J&K to ensure FRA is implemented in letter and spirit. He said that mistakes committed by other states and UT’s in FRA implementation can be rectified by J&K Govt as the law has been extended to UT of J&K very recently.
Chairman RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar in his address said that FRA was not a land distribution law but it has been enacted to give the genuine rights to ST’s , Chopans and other forest dwellers who were deprived from the same for more than a century. He urged upon the people living near forests to be forest protectors as a lot of damage has already been caused to forests in Pir Panjaal forest division in recent past.
Senior Officer in the Ministry of Tribal affairs Priya Tayde, SDM Khansahib Syed Ahmad Kataria, Majeed Masroor noted poet and Range Officer Raithan forest range Tariq Ahmad also spoke on the occasion. Sarpanches of local panchayats , panches and members of Forest Rights Committees also participated in the public hearing. Chopan Welfare Association presented a memorandum to the committee wherein they urged the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to give them ST status in view of their work and lifestyle. The expert group will hold a public hearing in Anantnag on Wednesday
