Minister reviews status of Tribal Bhawan, EMR schools
JAMMU: Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment, Javed Ahmed Rana on Monday exhorted upon the senior officers of Forest Department to adopt participatory approach towards conservation of forest resources and protection of environment by involving local communities.
The Minister directed for implementation of Forest Rights Act, fast-track recruitment, check on timber smuggling and establishing cordial relation/communication with local communities, especially the traditional forest dwellers for conservation of forests.
In a brief introductory meeting with the officers and officials of the department at Civil Secretariat Jammu, Rana expressed hope that the forest fraternity shall work in tandem with communities to conserve and protect forests and environment. He exhorted upon the officers to work with dedication and sincerity to solve public issues and concerns.
The Minister stressed upon the need of effective implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA) and safeguarding the statutory rights of tribal communities who live in forests.
Principal Secretary Forest, Shailendra Kumar, PCCF/Hoff ,B K Singh, senior officers of Forest department and Pollution Control Board were present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, Minister for Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana on Monday directed for regular reviews by senior officers to enable expeditious completion of all development projects meant for welfare of tribal communities in J&K.
In a meeting attended by Secretary Tribal Affairs, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Rana reviewed the measures being implemented by the Tribal Affairs Department and divisional administration Jammu to remove bottlenecks hampering timely completion of Tribal Bhawan at Nagrota and EMR Schools in Jammu division.
“The government is ensuring efficient implementation of various schemes and policies aimed ensuring socio-economic empowerment of tribal communities”, the Minister stated while asking the Secretary Tribal Affairs to chalk out strategy for awareness of tribal communities regarding various schemes meant for their development.
Rana said that government is keen to establish Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) to provide quality education to tribal students in remote areas besides facilitating access to higher education and employment opportunities. “By focusing on academic and holistic development, the EMRSs have emerged as a significant tool for tribal empowerment”, he asserted.
The Minister also stated that the scholarships are aimed to reduce dropout rates and promote education of tribal students. He directed the concerned officer to make a plan with focus on filling critical gaps in education, healthcare and infrastructure in tribal regions, backed by significant budget allocations.
Secretary Tribal Affairs Department informed the Minister about various schemes, physical and financial position of the department, digital interventions besides challenges and subsequent strategies to overcome those challenges.