Kashmir to enact India’s forest rights law 14 years on, in boost for nomads
Authorities in India's Jammu and Kashmir will implement a law to grant land rights to forest dwelling communities 14 years after the legislation was enacted nationwide, a long-awaited move that may better protect nomadic tribes, human rights activists said.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 aimed to recognise the rights of at least 150 million indigenous and rural people to inhabit and live off about 40 million hectares of forest land.
It was not implemented in Jammu and Kashmir as the northern state had special status that exempted it from several federal laws until October 2019 when the government introduced direct rule from New Delhi.
"This central act ... became applicable to J&K only after 31st October, 2019, hence recognising the rights of forest dwelling communities for the first time in the Union Territory," said B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Jammu and Kashmir's chief secretary.
Authorities will complete a survey of claimants under FRA by Jan. 15, and approve all eligible claims by March 1, he said.
While FRA was hailed by land rights activists as a progressive legislation that would improve the lives of impoverished indigenous people, states have been slow to implement it, with about half of all claims rejected.
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