Now Reading: Forest Rights Act became applicable in J&K only after August 2019, says Mian Altaf
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Forest Rights Act became applicable in J&K only after August 2019, says Mian Altaf
Forest Rights Act became applicable in J&K only after August 2019, says Mian Altaf
Senior tribal leader and MP Mian Altaf Ahmad has said the Forest Rights Act, 2006, was not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir before the constitutional changes of August 2019. Speaking to Greater Kashmir, he stated that the Act became operational in the region only after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act extended central laws to the Union Territory from October 31, 2019.
Altaf, who served as the state’s forest minister from 2006 to 2014, said that despite the absence of the FRA, tribal communities such as the Gujjar and Bakarwal were traditionally protected and did not face systematic harassment or arbitrary evictions. He cautioned against burdening genuine forest dwellers with bureaucracy and eviction notices.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates over land and forest rights in Jammu and Kashmir. Altaf urged the administration to ensure transparent implementation of the Act, focusing on safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of traditional forest dwellers while avoiding unnecessary hardship for vulnerable families.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Mian Altaf, a former forest minister and now a member of the BJP-led alliance, frames the Forest Rights Act’s post-2019 applicability as a potential administrative burden, implicitly defending the pre-2019 state regime. Activists and some media outlets counter that the Act was needed precisely because tribal communities lacked formal legal protection and faced discretionary treatment. The measured middle ground is that while the Act’s extension is a legal right, its implementation must avoid the harassment Altaf warns about, a risk acknowledged even by proponents. The story’s real test will be the number of individual and community titles actually distributed over the next year.
Source: greaterkashmir.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
