Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 15: The Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement today alleged that fake Gram Sabhas were held across many places in Jammu & Kashmir during the last several days to constitute the Forest Rights Committees (FRC’s) under the Forest Rights Act 2006 (FRA).
In a statement issued here, Chairman Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said that due to cold weather conditions and snowfall not even 1% of people attended the Gram Sabha meetings across J&K to elect the village Forest Rights Committees (FRC’s).
He said that it has been alleged that in many villages the villagers were not even informed and those people who are in actual possession of the forest land for more than 100 years haven’t been made part of the FRC’s.
RTIM said that it had demanded that FRC’s be reconstituted by holding fresh gram sabha’s after weather improves.
“Before holding Gram Sabha meetings, the Govt was supposed to issue a gazette notification through J&K Tribal Affairs department, wherein they will provide details of villages where people can claim the rights under FRA,” Dr Bhat said.
He alleged that the government made some people in villages hold “closed-door meetings” which have been labelled as Gram Sabha meetings.
“I don’t blame the officials of the Rural Development Department or members of Panchayat for all this. It is the Govt at the top which is enforcing this. They seem to be under the confusion that by March 31st, Govt has to implement FRA 2006 in J&K. This is not the case at all. FRA is a continuous process and has no time limit,” he added.
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