Srinagar, Nov 09 (HS): A Mega Gram Sabha was held at Block Kanjiullar in Shopian on Monday to raise awareness among the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community about the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and to take up their claims for disposal. A separate event for tribal communities was held the same day at Ringzabal in Block Sukhnag, Budgam. Both were held in the run-up to Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, observed on the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, officials said.

The Shopian Gram Sabha was organised by the Tribal Affairs Department in collaboration with the district administration. Mohammad Imran Khan, Programme Officer ICDS Shopian, who is also the department’s nodal officer for the district, Tariq Ahmad Padder, Block Development Officer Kanjiullar, and officials of the Tribal Affairs and other line departments were present, officials said.

The participants were told about the main provisions of the Act, including individual and community rights, the procedure for filing claims, the role of Gram Sabhas and Forest Rights Committees, and the benefits available to tribal communities under it. Claims of ST community members were also taken up for disposal at the Gram Sabha, according to the officials.

Residents used the occasion to place a list of development demands before the officers. These included a check at Shamshipora, a library, macadamisation of a link road and of the main road from Jamia Masjid to the house of Ab Rahim Sheikh, and a drinking water reservoir for the tribal community. They also sought a Primary Health Centre in the area and the construction of a bund on the nallah. The officers heard the demands and assured the residents that all genuine ones would be taken up with the departments concerned for early redressal.

In Budgam, officials said the programme at Ringzabal was held to honour the heritage, culture and contributions of tribal communities and to spread awareness of government welfare schemes. Javaid Ahmad, Chief Planning Officer, Budgam, Jahangir Ahmad Giri, SDM Khansahib, and Samar Naik, Project Officer ICDS Budgam, were among the officers present, along with departmental heads.

Representatives of various departments interacted with the public, explained the schemes, the eligibility conditions and the procedure for availing them, and urged people to make full use of them, the officials said. A large number of people from Ringzabal and the neighbouring areas took part, with a particularly encouraging turnout of tribal community members.

The events come as the government has said it is working to speed up the implementation of the Forest Rights Act. Minister for Forest, Ecology and Tribal Affairs Javed Rana said on October 23 that implementation in J&K had remained slow, that the Tribal Affairs Department had become the nodal department for the Act, and that an FRA cell had been set up, with two representatives in each district. He had said that around 44,000 applications had been received, most of which had been rejected, and that the government was examining the reasons.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Zahoor Hussain Bhat