Departments have well defined roles for proper, smooth implementation of FRA: DC Anantnag
Calls for conferment of rights as per provisions of the Act
ANANTNAG, JUNE 30 (KN) : The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anantnag, Dr. Piyush Singla today said that all concerned departments have well defined roles for proper and smooth implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006.
He stressed that the associated departments viz Tribal, Forest, Rural Development, Revenue, Animal and Sheep Husbandry and other stakeholders must work in coordination to identify the beneficiaries and confer the rights as per provisions of the act.
The DC made these remarks while presiding over a district level workshop cum training programme of stakeholders on FRA here.
The workshop was organised by District Administration and was attended by DDC members, BDC Chairpersons, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gulzar Ahmad, DFO Lidder Division Bijbehara, SDMs, ACD, BDOs Forest Range Officers, EOs of MCs, Sarpanches and other concerned.
Dr. Singla passed directions to SDMs for coordinating the related activities besides organising regular awareness workshops and monitoring the progress on the claims received in their respective jurisdictions.
The DC directed BDOs to routinely compile and forward the objections received besides making efforts to clarify any doubts among the stakeholders.
Master Trainer, DFO Lidder Division Bijbehara, Dr. Mehraj awared the participants about various provisions of FRA and elaborated the procedure to settle claims through a detailed PowerPoint Presentation.
He said the Forest Rights Committee is the basic unit for ensuring smooth implementation of FRA and impressed upon the participants to focus on community rights, community resources and individual rights as envisaged in the Act.
Emphasizing the importance of Forest Rights Committees, he enjoined upon the BDOs to thoroughly sensitize VLWs (Member Secretaries of FRCs) about their role.
During the proceedings, exhaustive interactions and threadbare discussions were held to have deeper understanding of the Act among the stakeholders.
Pertinently, District Administration has been holding such workshops with an aim to impart necessary understanding and awareness of the Act for its implementation in letter and spirit in the district.(KN)