Jammu: Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), has welcomed the notification issued by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir on 30 July 2026 for the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
Addressing a Press Conference at Sher-e- Kashmir Bhavan, Jammu today, Rattan Lal Gupta said that the implementation of the Forest Rights Act is a long-awaited step towards ensuring justice, dignity and constitutional rights to the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in and depending upon forest areas for generations.
Gupta stated that the Act is intended to recognize both individual and community forest rights, safeguard traditional livelihoods, and empower Gram Sabhas in the protection and management of forest resources. He expressed hope that the notification would now pave the way for speedy recognition of genuine claims in a transparent, fair and accountable manner.
He urged the Government to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries, particularly Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis, Sippis and other eligible forest-dwelling communities, receive the benefits of the Act without delay. He also called for extensive awareness campaigns in remote and hilly areas so that no eligible claimant is deprived of his or her lawful rights due to lack of information.
The Provincial President emphasized that the entire implementation process must remain free from bureaucratic delays and unnecessary hurdles. He urged the concerned departments to complete verification and disposal of claims within a fixed timeframe while maintaining complete transparency.
Rattan Lal Gupta said that “no member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe or other traditional forest dweller shall be evicted or removed from forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete.”
Rattan Lal Gupta further said that the National Conference has always stood for the protection of the constitutional, social and economic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the weaker and marginalized sections. He reiterated that the proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act would strengthen social justice, improve livelihoods and contribute to the inclusive development of tribal and forest-dwelling communities across the Union Territory. Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Provincial Secretary Jammu and Thakur Yashuvardhan Singh Additional Spokesperson Jammu were alsoaccompanied in the press Conference.
