Kashmir Observer: Srinagar: Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
The Jammu and Kashmir
Department of Tribal Affairs has said it has not received official records
relating to the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, from the
former nodal department, citing the absence of requisite documents for uploading
the information on its official website.
In a reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Raja Muzaffar Bhat, dated October 14, the department said the records relating to the implementation of the Act had not been handed over by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment.
The disclosure comes after the General Administration Department, through Government Order No. 1876-JK(GAD) of 2025 dated December 12, 2025, nominated the Department of Tribal Affairs as the nodal department for implementing the Act in Jammu and Kashmir.
“However, no official record pertaining to the implementation of the Act have been handed over by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment to the Department of Tribal Affairs,” the reply stated.
The department said the relevant records relating to FRA implementation were maintained by the concerned district administrations. It added that it did not currently possess the requisite records to upload the information on its official website.
The response raises questions about the transfer of official records following the change in nodal responsibility and the availability of information on the implementation of the legislation.
The Forest Rights Act, enacted in 2006, provides for the recognition and vesting of forest rights in Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in and depending on forest land for their livelihoods.
The law provides a framework for recognising individual and community forest rights, subject to its eligibility criteria and prescribed procedures.
The RTI response does not indicate that the records are unavailable across Jammu and Kashmir, but states that the Department of Tribal Affairs has not received them from the former nodal department and that the relevant district administrations maintain the records.
The disclosure also raises questions about how the department intends to consolidate the information and make it publicly accessible in keeping with transparency requirements under the RTI Act.
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Representational Photo |
In a reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Raja Muzaffar Bhat, dated October 14, the department said the records relating to the implementation of the Act had not been handed over by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment.
The disclosure comes after the General Administration Department, through Government Order No. 1876-JK(GAD) of 2025 dated December 12, 2025, nominated the Department of Tribal Affairs as the nodal department for implementing the Act in Jammu and Kashmir.
“However, no official record pertaining to the implementation of the Act have been handed over by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment to the Department of Tribal Affairs,” the reply stated.
The department said the relevant records relating to FRA implementation were maintained by the concerned district administrations. It added that it did not currently possess the requisite records to upload the information on its official website.
The response raises questions about the transfer of official records following the change in nodal responsibility and the availability of information on the implementation of the legislation.
The Forest Rights Act, enacted in 2006, provides for the recognition and vesting of forest rights in Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in and depending on forest land for their livelihoods.
The law provides a framework for recognising individual and community forest rights, subject to its eligibility criteria and prescribed procedures.
The RTI response does not indicate that the records are unavailable across Jammu and Kashmir, but states that the Department of Tribal Affairs has not received them from the former nodal department and that the relevant district administrations maintain the records.
The disclosure also raises questions about how the department intends to consolidate the information and make it publicly accessible in keeping with transparency requirements under the RTI Act.
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