Srinagar, 31 Jul (KNS) : The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Provincial President (Kashmir) Showkat Ahmad Mir Friday hailed the Omar Abdullah-led Government for taking a decisive and historic step to secure the rights of Gujjar, Bakarwal and other traditional forest-dwelling communities by putting in place a formal framework for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.

In a statement issued , Mir said the Government has institutionalised a transparent, legally enforceable mechanism that dismantles the arbitrary eviction regime of the past and guarantees due process before any action can be initiated against tribal families. "For years, our tribal communities lived under the constant threat of summary evictions and demolition drives. The Omar Abdullah Government has decisively ended that injustice by ensuring that the law, not administrative arbitrariness, will prevail," he said.

Mir said that despite the Forest Rights Act being enacted in 2006, its implementation in Jammu and Kashmir remained neglected for years. "The National Conference Government has transformed a long-pending legal promise into an enforceable administrative reality by issuing clear executive directions that make the protection of tribal rights mandatory, not optional," he asserted.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

He said every claim will now pass through a robust three-tier institutional process beginning with the Gram Sabha, followed by scrutiny at the Sub-Divisional Level Committee and final determination by the District Level Committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner. The framework guarantees every claimant the right to be heard, the right to appeal and mandatory representation of tribal communities at every stage, ensuring transparency, accountability and justice.

Describing the decision as a watershed reform, Mir said the Omar Abdullah Government has reinforced constitutional guarantees, strengthened the rule of law and restored the confidence of tribal communities by replacing uncertainty with legal protection.

Congratulating Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister for Tribal Affairs Javed Ahmed Rana, Mir said the National Conference Government has once again translated its commitment into decisive governance, reaffirming that the protection of the rights, dignity and livelihood of the poorest and most marginalised remains at the heart of its political and governance agenda.(KNS)