Srinagar, Friday:
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday announced a significant policy shift aimed at strengthening the rights of tribal communities across the Union Territory. In a post on X, the Chief Minister said the government has designated the Tribal Affairs Department as the Nodal Department for implementing the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA), replacing the Forest Department.
Describing it as a step toward fulfilling a “long-pending demand” of J&K’s tribal population, Omar Abdullah said the change would ensure “more effective implementation of the Act while safeguarding the rights of our tribal communities.”
The FRA, enacted in 2006, recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest communities over land and resources they have traditionally accessed. Activists and tribal groups in J&K have long argued that the Forest Department’s role as the implementing authority created conflicts of interest, often leading to delays or denial of rightful claims.
