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| Rules being floated in constitution of FRA Committees in Anantnag | | Implementation of Forest Rights Act! | | SAAHIL SUHAIL
EARLY TIMES REPORT
ANANTNAG, Jan 13: The Village Level Workers (VLWs) are allegedly violating the basic norms while constituting Forest Rights Act Committees which they have to constitute for the Implementation of Forest Rights Act, Early Times learnt on Wednesday.
According to reports, the employees of the Rural Development Department in nexus with politicians constitute the committees without conveying the Gram Sabha meetings.
“I am receiving calls from different areas of Anantnag particularly from Pahalgam and Kokernag wherein people allege that Village Level Workers have constituted the FRA committees without conducting Gram Sabha meetings,” Chairman Tribal Welfare Association Basharat Chouhan told Early Times over phone.
He alleged that in Khayar village of Pahalgam five members of a single family have been included in the FRA committee without conveying the meeting. “At Larnoo, VLW’s have constituted committees without conducting Gram Sabha meetings. People hailing from the area held protests and submitted a memorandum in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office,” he said.
He however said that things were better in Kulgam and committees are being constituted as the law and FRA guidelines.
Mohd Sadiq, a resident of Gurdram Larnoo also alleged that the RDD department wasn’t conducting the Gram Sabha and without conveying the meetings they had framed a list against which we protested in the BDO office.
“As per Law the department is supposed to convey a meeting of Gram Sabha and ensure presence of 50% voters and frame the committee but sadly that isn’t happening instead a Sarpanch is framing the committee as per his will,” he said, adding they will approach Deputy Commissioner if BDO failed to frame the committee as per the guidelines.
Block Development Officer Khoveripora Bilal Ahmad admitted that he has received a complaint from Khayar village of Aishmuqam and assured that he will get the committee constituted as per guidelines.
“I assure you that the committee will be constituted as per FRA act,” he told Early Times.
Gujjar Bakerwal activists alleged that in most areas of Anantnag the mandatory rules with regard to inclusion of members into these committees were being violated.
“According to the law and guidelines, Two-third members of each committee should form the Schedule Tribe community but that isn’t happening,” they alleged.
Repeated attempts proved futile to contact Deputy Commissioner Anantnag as he didn’t attend several calls from this reporter. |
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