STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: In a significant move towards recognising the traditional rights of forest-dwelling communities, 234 beneficiaries in Kamrup district were granted Forest Rights Title Deeds under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, at a programme organised on Wednesday as part of the observance of Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada.
Guardian Minister of Kamrup Ajanta Neog attended the programme and distributed the title deeds to the beneficiaries.
Addressing the gathering, Neog described the Forest Rights Act as an important instrument for safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of tribal and forest-dwelling communities. She said the legislation went beyond the recognition of land rights and represented a significant step towards ensuring social security, dignity and justice for families traditionally dependent on forest areas.
The Minister reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring that all eligible beneficiaries receive their rightful entitlements. She also urged the concerned departments and officials to expedite the process of recognising forest rights and distributing title deeds so that pending cases could be settled at the earliest.
Earlier, District Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra, in his welcome address, highlighted the significance of the Forest Rights Act and the initiatives undertaken by the district administration to identify eligible beneficiaries and facilitate the recognition of their traditional rights.
He stressed the importance of coordination among the concerned departments for the effective implementation of the Act and ensuring that deserving families receive the benefits guaranteed under its provisions.
The distribution of title deeds marks an important step towards providing legal recognition to the traditional land rights of forest-dependent families in the district.