Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana.
| Picture Credit score: PTI
J&Okay Cupboard Minister Javed Ahmed Rana, who holds the Forest, Ecology and Atmosphere and Tribal Affairs portfolio, on Saturday (August 1, 2026) introduced that the Tribal Affairs division can be the nodal company to implement the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, and warned towards the issuance of eviction notices to forest dwellers with out following the set process.
“No notices can be served by the J&Okay Forest Division to any member of forest dwellers, whether or not a Schedule Tribe or every other conventional forest dwellers dwelling for many years. These dwellers won’t be disturbed or evicted from the forest underneath occupation until the method of recognition and verification is full,” stated Mr. Rana.
The announcement comes months after the Lok Bhavan and the elected authorities have been at loggerheads over the eviction drive in Jammu’s Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika, and Sidhra areas in Jammu. The drive had triggered protests by BJP legislators, with the elected authorities accusing the Forest division of functioning underneath the instructions of the Lok Bhavan.
Mr. Rana stated the Tribal division, and never the Forest division would be the nodal division for implementing the FRA in J&Okay.
“A 3-member Venture Monitoring Models has been established. Nobody can be evicted until a set process is adopted. All of the deputy commissioners will velocity up the pending instances underneath the FRA,” he stated.
In keeping with the 2011 Census, Jammu and Kashmir has a Scheduled Tribe inhabitants of 12.75 lakh, together with 8.10 lakh within the Jammu division and 4.64 lakh within the Kashmir division.
The Authorities is pushing laborious to implement the Scheduled Tribes and Different Conventional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) and has expedited the method of receiving, verifying and settling claims via the statutory three-tier mechanism.
An official round stated the Gram Sabha is the statutory authority liable for initiating the method of figuring out the character and extent of particular person and neighborhood forest rights underneath the provisions of Part 6 of the Act.
“The Gram Sabha is remitted to obtain, scrutinize and confirm claims, put together maps of the really helpful claims and ahead its suggestions to the Sub-Divisional Degree Committee (SDLC) for additional examination and choice,” an official spokesman stated.
Individually, J&Okay Legislative Meeting Speaker Abdul Rahim Quite held a public outreach camp at Kanidajan within the Charar-i-Sharief Constituency. An official spokesman stated a serious concern was raised by the villagers pertaining to the alleged harassment brought on by the eviction notices issued by the Forest Division and the obstruction of agricultural actions on lands, “which have been underneath their possession and cultivation for generations”.
“Nobody can be allowed to behave in violation of the provisions of the FRA. The rights of all eligible beneficiaries underneath the Act can be protected in letter and spirit including that no undue harassment of villagers can be tolerated,” stated Mr. Quite.
The Speaker cautioned that no particular person ought to try and misuse the Act as a pretext for contemporary encroachments on forest land or authorities property. “The legislation have to be carried out pretty and transparently whereas safeguarding the rights of real beneficiaries,” he added.
Revealed – August 02, 2026 03:28 am IST
