SRINAGAR: A delegation of the National Alliance on Community Forest Resources and Minor Forest Produce (NACM), along with members of the Jammu and Kashmir Climate Action Group, on Tuesday met Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather and sought his intervention for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) in the Union Territory.
During the meeting, the delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting issues related to the implementation of the legislation and urged the Speaker to facilitate measures for its effective enforcement in Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation included representatives from Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Members informed the Speaker about concerns relating to forest-dependent communities and argued that the Act had contributed to improving rural livelihoods in states where it has been implemented.
They also sought support in raising the matter with the relevant authorities and addressing issues faced by communities reliant on forest resources.
According to officials, Rather assured the delegation that the issues raised would be taken up with the concerned authorities for appropriate consideration. He said the concerns highlighted by the delegation would be conveyed to the relevant quarters in accordance with the applicable legal and administrative framework.