Chandan Brahma, minister for tourism, WPT&BC, reviewed the implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006 in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts in a meeting held at Tezpur today.
Speaking at the meeting, Brahma said the government has been closely monitoring the process of implementation of the act and called on the Forest Rights Committees (FRCs) to work at the ground level to ensure proper implementation of the Act.
The minister directed the education and forest department officials to work in tandem to expedite the process of providing possession certificates to the venture and provincialised schools under the two districts.
Till date 1,623 individual and community claims from Sonitpur district have been accepted and certificates issued while 21, 515 claims have been rejected.
The Minister also directed commissioner and secretary, WPT&BC to verify and re-examine all such rejected claims in accordance with the law. He also assured that the government will issue necessary guidelines to the district administration very soon about the next steps to be taken in this connection.
Brahma said after completion of necessary legal and administrative procedure and obtaining necessary clearance from the forest department, eligible beneficiaries will be distributed the land possession certificates at the earliest.