*Amit Kumar*
New Delhi, Dec 11: ANB: Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Ghulam Ali Khatana on Thursday raised a significant supplementary question in the Upper House, seeking to know why the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 has reportedly slowed down in Jammu & Kashmir over the past year.
Khatana said the Forest Rights Act, which aims to safeguard the land and livelihood rights of tribal communities, had shown “remarkable progress” in the Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370. However, he expressed concern that the pace has stalled recently.
“Why has the Forest Rights Act been discouraged in Jammu & Kashmir over the past one year, especially when its implementation gained momentum after the abrogation of Article 370?” the MP asked.
Emphasising the importance of upholding the rights of Scheduled Tribes, Khatana added
“Our tribal people and their rights cannot be ignored.”
The MP urged the government to ensure that the benefits of FRA reach the tribal and forest-dependent communities without delay, and that procedural bottlenecks if any are addressed on priority.
The government is expected to issue a detailed response regarding the current status of FRA implementation in the Union Territory. ANB
