District-Level Forest Rights Act Committee Approves 43 Cases, Seeks Expedited Completion of Formalities for 138 Others.
Shimla:
A crucial meeting of the District Level Committee of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) was held today in the auditorium of the National Informatics Centre, Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district, where 181 cases of land rights were reviewed. Chaired by Rahul Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul Spiti, the meeting saw detailed discussions on individual forest rights claims across the district’s sub-divisions.
Out of the 181 cases presented by the sub-divisional committees of Keylong, Kaza, and Udaipur, the committee approved 43 after thorough observation. These cases met all the formal requirements stipulated under the Forest Rights Act. Notably, 38 cases from Spiti sub-division, 3 from Keylong, and 2 from Udaipur were found compliant, marking a significant step toward securing land rights for local residents.
However, the remaining 138 cases were returned due to errors identified during the review. These cases will be sent back to the sub-divisional committees to rectify the formalities and address discrepancies. The Deputy Commissioner, addressing the meeting, emphasized the urgency of completing these formalities at the earliest to ensure the timely processing of all claims under the Act. He directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and field officers to ensure all necessary documentation is updated for presentation in the next meeting, benefiting more people in the region.
Assistant Commissioner and Member Secretary of the District Level Committee, Sankalp Gautam, provided an overview of the 181 cases, which included 91 claims related to agricultural land and 90 concerning residential land. Errors in the 138 unapproved cases were discussed in detail, with specific guidance issued to the concerned authorities for swift rectification.
The meeting also featured participation from key officials, including SDM Keylong Rajneesh Sharma, SDM Kaza Shikha, SDM Udaipur Manoj Thakur, Tehsildar Keylong Ramesh Rana, and DFO Lahaul Aniket Wanve. Notably, district council members Dorje Angrup, Chhezing Dolma, and Chhering Sandup attended as non-official members, contributing valuable insights.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to resolve the remaining cases promptly, ensuring that more local communities benefit from the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, securing their rightful claims to land under the law.
