Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 22: Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement (JKRTIM) today said that evicting forest dwellers from their ancestral land is an open violation of the Forest Rights Act.
In a statement issued here, the JKRTIM said that the law gives legal protection to forest dwellers like Gujjars, Bakarwals, Chopans and even Kashmiri or Dogri people living in the forest area for more than 75 years.
Chairman RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said that for last several weeks Forest Department officials are issuing eviction notices under Section 79-A of Forest Act 1927 to people living in the vicinity of forests in many villages of J&K particularly in Nagbal Yusmarg, Darwan, Kanidajan, Jabad Branwar, Raiyar, Arizal and many other areas of Pahalgam and Kathua.
He said that the people residing in forest areas are mentally frustrated after getting eviction notices from respective Forest Range offices. He said that the Forest Rights Act 2006 gives them legal protection.
“The FRA 2006 was not extended to J&K post Article 370 abrogation and recently the Chief Secretary in a meeting with top officials assured that said law would be extended to UT of J&K soon. If the Govt has plans to extend this law to J&K, why is the Govt harassing the forest dwellers,” he asked.
He impressed that the Govt must instead focus on deforestation and loot of forest wealth and appeal LG Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to intervene.
Under FRA 2006, the JKRTIM said, members of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and other forest dwellers in the forests have the right over forest land for habitation or self-cultivation or livelihood.
“The Act also allows the use of forest land for developing government facilities, including schools, minor water bodies, and hospitals, on the recommendation of local Panchayat through the Deh Majlis or Gram Sabha,” it said.
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