Tag: Himachal Pradesh

हिन्दी प्रेस नोट के लिए नीचे स्क्रॉल करें!

• Close to 150 women representatives of Panchayats, Mahila Mandals and Forest Rights Committees, gathered today at Rekong Peo, Kinnaur for an awareness program on the Forest Rights Act 2006. The program was organised jointly by rights and inform the gathering about the provisions of the law, especially the role of women in implementation.

• The Forest Rights Act, passed by the Parliament in 2006 is a legislation which recognises the individual and community rights of forest dependent communities to use as well as manage and conserve their forest lands. Not only is this law crucial for Scheduled  tribe areas like Kinnaur, but it also contains special provisions for ensuring the representation and participation of women.
• Women are one of the most important stakeholders in the process because of their connection with land. Besides agriculture, they are engaged in the arduous task of collecting firewood, leaf litter, grass and fodder from the forest. But whenever crucial decisions concerning forest rights are to be taken, women are invisibilised. Community management and protection of forests in an ecologically-sensitive area like Kinnaur holds a special significance for the world in general and for tribal and traditional forest dwelling communities in particular. This initiative empowers local gram sabhas to take decisions for their own well being.
• The Forest Rights Act considers women equal right-holders in the forest land. In the implementation of these laws, a special status has been given to women. In the Forest Rights Committee at least one-third of the members should be a woman. Sub-divisional Committees and District level committees should have at least one woman member. A Gram sabha meeting convened to decide on forest rights should also have a quorum of at least one-third women present during the meeting. “This law is important for women because the title of Individual Forest Right is issued in favour of both the male and female heads of the family” said Ratan Manjri, the head of Mahila Kalyan Parishad that has been advocating for land rights for tribal women. Aradhna Devi Zila Parishad and DLC member, Indu Kiran, BDC and SDLC member and Sarita, Zilla Parishad, Kalpa all addressed the gathering empahsising the importance of the law for tribal livelihoods. 
• It has been 15 years since the coming into effect of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, still Himachal Pradesh has been considerably slow compared to other states in the implementation of the Act. Only 129 Individual Forest Rights and 35 Community Forest Rights have been officially recognised in the state till now, of which 76 people have received the title for their houses in Lahaul spiti District. Forest Committees created under the Act and government officials responsible for implementing the law are not well informed and trained on FRA. As a result, there are several misconceptions and myths causing delays in implementation of the Forest Rights Act . In Kinnaur recently 80 Individual Forest Rights claims have been recommended by SDLC Pooh. “However, there are many mending claims that need urgent action. In recent months the district administration has shown a positive attitude and we hope the implementation of FRA will move speedily in the coming days”, according to Jiya Lal Negi of Zila Van Adhikar Samiti Kinnaur.

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