Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 30: A delegation of the J&K RTI Movement (RTIM) and Climate Action Group (JKCAG) today urged Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to intervene and halt the Forest Department's ongoing eviction drives, alleging they violate the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 by relying on the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
The delegation, led by RTIM founder Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, submitted a memorandum to the Speaker seeking his intervention to stop eviction drives being carried out in parts of north, central and south Kashmir.
It urged the Speaker to take up the matter with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The memorandum stated that the FRA, extended to J&K after the abrogation of Article 370, provides legal protection to Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, including Gujjars, Bakarwals, Chopans and other communities living in forest areas for generations.
It alleged that instead of implementing the Act, the Forest Department was issuing eviction notices under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, including Section 79-A.
The delegation also claimed that many claims for individual and community forest rights remain pending and that the FRA has not been effectively implemented in the Union Territory despite being in force for several years.
It further alleged that some affected families were being asked to surrender land without proper notice, creating confusion on the ground.