LG distributes Forest Rights certificates to members of tribal community
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that work on the construction of transit accommodation for tribals along the traditional routes taken by tribals on way to their high land pastures in the Union Territory will start soon.
These include Kandi and Thanamandi in Rajouri district, Behram Gala in Poonch, Udhampur and Ramban along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, besides Dubjan and Lal Ghulam in Shopian and along the national highway in Pulwama, Sinha said while handing over individual and community forest rights certificated to members of tribal communities of Jammu division. Earlier, he had handed over these certificates to tribals in the Valley.
The transit accommodation in Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, and Ramban will also have medical facilities for tribal people and veterinary dispensary for their cattle, he said.
The Lt Governor also mentioned about Tribal Health Plan, health sub-centre, mobile medical care units for the migratory population; Tribal Bhavans in Jammu, Srinagar and Rajouri; 1500 mini sheep farms for sustainable livelihood of tribal community and making them financially capable.; Selecting 500 tribal youth for specialized skill development programmes including Commercial Pilots, Management, hospitality training etc.; Setting up 16 Milk Villages to connect at least 2000 youth to the dairy sector at the cost of Rs 16 crore, besides providing training, branding, marketing and transport facilities to the youth.
He termed their participation significant in the complete implementation of Forest Rights Act. “We have formulated a robust mechanism to ensure these rights are decided at the grassroots level in consultation with PRIs and forest department”, he added.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor felicitated Deputy Commissioners of Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch, and Kishtwar for their outstanding work in implementation of Forest Rights Act in their respective districts. He also lauded the efforts of elected public representatives and the officers of Tribal Affairs and Forest departments.
Terming the Forests Rights as the basic right of tribal population, the Lt Governor said that with the complete implementation of Forest Rights Act 2006 in the UT, the interests of communities dependent on forest resources, and whose existence is incomplete without forests are safeguarded. The UT administration is steadfast for their holistic development and prosperity, he added.
The Lt Governor said that the government has launched various schemes to extend best education and medical facilities, besides offering sustainable employment opportunities to the youth from tribal community. ‘We have also finalized a plan to build transit accommodation for migratory population and develop tribal villages as Model villages,’ he said.
The Lt Governor said that after Independence, many Tribal representatives made the demand for safeguarding their right to education, healthcare, and on forest produce, which was not impossible to achieve but even after decades, the tribal community of J&K could not get their rights. He assured them that the UT administration is committed to protect their interests and whatever difficulties or obstacles may come, it will work to remove them from the way of your development and prosperity.
He said that the Certificates of Forest Rights Act will connect Tribal Population with the mainstream development. It will play a huge role in the UT towards creating an equal society free from any social discrimination.
The Lt Governor informed that 10,389 claims were received from all the 10 districts of Jammu division, out of which more than 8000 claims have been scrutinized at the level of Gram Sabhas and Forest Rights Committees, and are now being examined by Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLCs).
The Lt Governor said that Rs 73 crores, together with the Central Government and the UT Capex budget, has been sanctioned this year for the Cluster Tribal Model Village.
Noting the problems faced by tribal community of J&K due to non-implementation of Forest Rights Act, the Lt Governor said that Hon’ble PM had started Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana in April 2018, so that the tribal community could enhance their income by marketing forests products, but the program too could not be implemented in the UT, now with the introduction of the Forest Rights Act, these rights have been given to the tribal community.
The Lt Governor expressed gratitude towards public representatives involved in this entire campaign and congratulated all the officers of the administration. “We will review the impact of all the programs that are being run for tribal people and wherever required necessary changes will be made. With this new system of social harmony, a strong J&K will move forward on the path of development and prosperity”, concluded the Lt Governor.