Jammu: Jammu’s Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta, has instructed that all pending claims for Forest Rights be resolved by May this year. In a meeting to review the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 in J&K, Mehta emphasized the importance of following the proper procedure for claim resolution in consultation with villagers, Gram Sabha, and other stakeholders. He directed the preparation of a concrete checklist to ensure that all claims received by the department are resolved within the prescribed timelines. The chief secretary also stressed the need to create awareness among the eligible population to successfully submit their applications.
Mehta further instructed the Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) to prepare a detailed action plan with the necessary records and maps and coordinate with Deputy Commissioners and sub-divisional level committees for verification by the Forest Rights Committee before presenting the claims before the concerned Gram Sabha. He urged the DFOs to expedite the process of putting the claims before the district-level committees after obtaining the necessary resolutions from Gram Sabhas.
During the meeting, the chief secretary was presented with a district-wise list of pending claims and spoke with participating district heads to take stock of the situation. It was reported that out of 42,000 applications received, around 38,000 had already been disposed of. Additionally, Mehta discussed measures to curb the drug menace with the district heads and called for the identification of drug hotspots, carrying out awareness activities in collaboration with education institutes, and eradicating the problem. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Forests, Dheeraj Gupta; PCCF, Mohit Gera; and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar.
