Presenting official figures before the House, Lone revealed that rejection rates of forest rights claims have risen sharply from 78 percent in 2023 to 85 percent in 2025 under the elected government, placing Jammu and Kashmir second only to Uttarakhand in the country for denial of tribal rights.

 

He underlined that while the national average rejection rate stands at nearly 40 percent, Jammu and Kashmir’s figures are almost double. Of the total claims filed, only around 6,097 have been accepted, while nearly 40,000 have been rejected. 

 

Lone pointed out that 84 percent of these rejections have been routed through Gram Sabhas, asserting that Gram Sabhas are empowered only to initiate, verify and recommend claims, not to reject them.

 

Drawing attention to the ground realities in his constituency, particularly in Kupwara, Lone spoke emotionally about the hardships faced by Gujjar and Pahari communities. 

 

He noted that despite overwhelming electoral support from Scheduled Tribes, reflected in National Conference winning seven of the nine reserved seats, the very rights promised to these communities continue to be buried instead of delivered.

 

The Hon'ble legislator also questioned the unchecked authority exercised by the Forest Department, asking why forest officials can enter homes without warrants when even police action requires legal sanction. 

 

He warned that routine FIRs registered at the behest of forest officials permanently damage the future of tribal youth by blocking police verification required for jobs and passports.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

 

Lone criticized the functioning of Forest Committees, stating that civil society organizations have consistently observed these bodies being formed for departmental convenience rather than the welfare of forest dwellers. 

 

He also highlighted the contradiction wherein firewood and timber are diverted to urban areas by the government, while local communities dependent on these resources are denied access.

 

Raising concerns over stalled development, Lone said numerous projects remain pending due to delays in forest NOCs, even in areas where forest land has no tree cover. He urged the government to establish a robust coordination mechanism to remove these administrative bottlenecks.

 

Referring to an incident in his village Bhawan Watser, Lone said excesses against largely ST residents went unaddressed until he raised the matter on the Assembly floor, terming it a stark example of selective and delayed justice.

 

Concluding his intervention, Lone demanded a special package or special provisions for the Scheduled Tribe population of Kupwara, especially those living in highland areas whom he described as among the most deprived.

 

He also flagged pending payments of nearly ?60 crore under the PMKSY, advocating third-party verification of water supply schemes to ensure transparency. 

 

He also forcefully condemned the comments of BJP MLA for propagating what he termed blatant and malicious lies that Kashmiris have illegally captured land in Jammu, denouncing the claim as dangerous, divisive, and aimed at vilifying an entire population. (KNS)