Jammu: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana said in the Legislative Assembly that given the growing challenges of soil erosion and water scarcity, the Minister said that soil and water conservation has become crucial. “Check dams, slope stabilization, and water harvesting structures are planned in coordination with Agriculture, Rural Development, and Irrigation & Flood Control Departments to recharge groundwater and prevent erosion,” he asserted.
The Minister also highlighted the need for conservation of Wildlife saying that the Wildlife protected areas are being managed scientifically with approved plans, regular patrolling and strict enforcement of the Wildlife Protection Act.
“The Department of Wildlife Protection has set up 42 control rooms across J&K to prevent poaching and human-wildlife conflicts. To strengthen manpower across all wings, the Forest Department is ensuring timely recruitment through selection agencies and fast-tracking promotions,” he added.
The Minister said that the Kashmir Forest Training School is being upgraded to improve infrastructure and increase training capacity. A proposal for financial assistance will be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, he added.
Regarding the Tribal Affairs Department, Javed Rana said that the government pursues integrated Social, Economic, Educational, Cultural Development of tribal communities through several schemes. He said that the department is mandated to conduct research studies and document tribal-related matters. He said that the department envisages welfare of tribal population through key schemes and programs.
Rana said that the tentative budget provision for Dharti Abha Janjatiya Gramin Utkarsh Yojana (DA-JGUA) for the financial year 2025-26 is Rs 30.44 crore. “The Scheme included 25 interventions from 17 departments and will initially cover 393 villages in 20 districts with at least 50 percent ST population or 500 ST individuals,” he said.
The Minister said that J&K Tribal Research complex has been established at Khimber Srinagar with a cost of Rs 11.50 crore which aims to serve as a think tank for tribal development with a focus on research, cultural preservation, capacity building, and awareness programs.
In the upcoming financial year, the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) Jammu and Kashmir will expand its efforts in Research, Cultural Preservation, and Socio-economic Development of tribal communities. “Key initiatives included comprehensive ethnographic studies, a digital tribal archive, and a National-level tribal festival to showcase heritage and foster economic opportunities,” maintained the Minister.
He said TRI will also promote Tribal entrepreneurship, integrate tourism with heritage conservation, and strengthen the implementation of the Forest Rights Act through advisory roles.
To promote education among the tribal students, the Minister informed that the department operates 28 hostels housing 2,885 students. “Five new hostels are ready to be functional with 25 more hostels under construction at an estimated cost of Rs 89.21 crore, of which, five shall be completed during 2025-26,” he added.
The Minister said that six Eklavya Model Residential Schools (ERMS) have been made operational in Poonch, Rajouri, Kulgam, Anantnag and Bandipora and 11 more have been proposed for establishment during 2025-26 for providing quality education to ST children in remote areas.
He also said that a scholarship amounting Rs 12 crore shall be provided to around 16000 ST students under Post- Matric Scholarship and Rs 2.43 crore to 8100 ST students under pre-matric scholarship (8th& 9th classes ) and Rs 12 crore to 1.5 lakh students under pre-matric category.
Javed Rana said that three Transit accommodations for the transhuman tribal population at Thanamandi (Rajouri), Dalwas (Ramban) and Dubjan (Shopian) shall be completed during 2025-26 with a cost of Rs 7.95 crore.
For effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) through JKRLM, the Minister said that an amount of Rs 14.57 crore shall be transferred to JKRLM. In order to strengthen medical facilities in Tribal Units, six Mobile Medical Units are being procured at a cost of Rs 4.52 crore.
The Minister informed that 10 Milk Villages are targeted for completion during 2025-26 with an allocation of Rs 800 lakh covering 410 ST beneficiaries.
For providing quality education to the Tribal children on modern lines, the Minister said that 50 schools in tribal areas shall be upgraded as Smart Schools with the facilities of Interactive Whiteboards & LED Panels, Digital Podiums, Smart Libraries, RO Drinking Water & Sports equipment with an estimated cost of Rs 3.0 crore.
The department will work to augment the manpower at all levels and will undertake steps for completion of the Tribal Bhawan and Museum in Jammu during the year 2025-26. He said that the Tribal Affairs Department will also coordinate formulation of Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) by various government departments in terms of guidelines of NITI Aayog.
The cut motions on Demands for Grants were withdrawn by the MLAs.
Legislators, Shamima Firdous, Mian Mehar Ali, Chander Prakash Ganga, Mir Saifullah, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Choudhry Vikram Randhawa, Abdul Majeed Bhat, Altaf Ahmed Wani, Mohan Lal Bhagat, Engineer Khursheed Ahmed, Vijay Kumar Sharma, Basheer Ahmad Shah Veeri, Dr. Mohammad Sajjad Shafi, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Yudhvir Sethi, Javaid Iqbal Choudhary, Mehraj Malik, Choudhary Mohammad Akram, Mohd Shafi Uri, Reyaz Ahmad Khan, Shagun Parihar, Ajaz Ahmed Jan, Thakur Randhir Singh, Dr Rameshwar Singh, Salman Sagar, Arvind Gupta, Peerzada Muhammad Syed, Mir Muhammad Fayaz, Ali Mohammad Dar, Sunil Bhardwaj, Saifuddin Bhat, Sheikh Khursheed, Baldev Raj Sharma, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Zafar Ali Khatana, Dilip Singh Parihar, Irfan Hafiz Lone, Balwant Singh Mankotia spoke on the Demand for Grants and put forth their views and suggestions.
Later, the House passed the Demand for Grants moved by Javed Rana by voice-vote.
‘Soil, water conservation has become crucial’
