SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana on Friday called for faster and transparent implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, stressing that all eligible tribal families and traditional forest dwellers must receive their legal entitlements without procedural delays.
Rana, who holds the Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology and Environment, and Tribal Affairs portfolios, was speaking after inaugurating the third Regional Review Conference on the implementation of the Act in Srinagar, organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
He said the legislation was intended to recognise the rights of forest-dependent communities, protect their livelihoods and support their socio-economic empowerment.
The Minister said the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had designated the Tribal Affairs Department as the nodal department for implementing the Act in Jammu and Kashmir. He stressed that the process of recognising forest rights must remain accessible and transparent, ensuring that no eligible beneficiary was denied entitlements because of procedural hurdles or lack of awareness.
Rana called for closer coordination among the Tribal Affairs, Revenue, Forest and Rural Development departments, as well as district administrations, to resolve pending cases and improve the delivery of benefits.
He said the effectiveness of regional and national review conferences would depend on whether their recommendations and decisions translated into practical improvements for communities at the grassroots level. He also called for documenting the deliberations and sharing the findings with field-level officials.
Highlighting the longstanding relationship of the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities with forests, Rana said tribal communities had contributed to preserving traditional knowledge, natural resources and ecological balance.
He maintained that recognising forest rights and protecting the environment were complementary responsibilities that required a balanced, people-oriented approach.
The conference brought together Anant Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, senior ministry officials, representatives of participating states and senior Jammu and Kashmir government officers.
Technical sessions examined pending forest rights claims, the recognition of individual and community forest rights, habitat rights, and the incorporation of recognised rights into revenue and forest records. Participants also discussed digitisation of FRA records and the proposed National FRA Portal.
Representatives from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir shared their experiences and progress in implementing the legislation.
The conference concluded with discussions on strengthening institutional coordination, improving implementation mechanisms and advancing recommendations to ensure the Act’s provisions are implemented effectively.
