J&K Receives 41,900+ Forest Rights Claims Under FRA, Govt Reports
Individual and community forest rights applications pour in as Union Territory implements FRA provisions
JAMMU, Feb 20: Jammu and Kashmir has received a total of 41,944 claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), the Union Territory government informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday. This includes 28,925 individual forest rights (IFR) claims and 13,019 community forest rights (CFR) claims, highlighting active participation from forest-dependent communities across the region.
In a written reply to BJP MLA R S Pathania, Forest Minister Javed Rana provided district-wise figures. Rajouri recorded the highest number of claims at 16,442 (9,067 IFR and 6,002 CFR), followed by Kupwara with 6,039 claims (5,448 IFR and 591 CFR), and Poonch with 5,175 claims (1,282 IFR and 3,893 CFR). Other districts included Budgam (4,065), Doda (1,795), Shopian (1,595), Kulgam (1,405), Ramban (1,308), and Baramulla (741).
In the Jammu region, Kishtwar recorded 855 claims, Jammu 44, Kathua 42, Samba 77, and Udhampur 51, while Srinagar received no applications. The data reflects cumulative claims across all districts under the FRA, 2006, which recognizes the rights of Scheduled Tribes and traditional forest dwellers who have lived on forest land for at least three generations.
Minister Rana also noted that while the Forest, Ecology, and Environment Department initially served as the nodal body for FRA implementation, the Department of Tribal Affairs has now been designated as the nodal department to streamline processes.
