Apni Party ST Wing holds protest against Kathua administration
Accuses administration of adopting selective approach against tribals
SAMBA, September 08, 2021: The Schedule Tribe wing of Apni Party today staged a protest in Sarore in Bari Brahmana.
Led by President, ST Wing, Apni Party, Saleem Choudhary, the protesters alleged that tribal members are not being nominated in the committees constituted in Kathua District.
These committees, Choudhary said, were constituted for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act after receiving claims from the tribal and forest dwellers.
“We have organised a protest against the District Administration Kathua for not nominating any of the elected Panchayat, BDC or any other members from the tribal community (Gujjar-Bakarwal) in the said district as members in the FRA committees,” said Saleem Choudhary.
He said that the administration has been discriminating with the Gujjars-Bakarwals in the district by violating the Govt directives. “The committees for FRA should have members from the tribal community but the same has not been followed by the district administration on the behest of their political masters,” he alleged.
He said that the Schedule Tribe Wing of Apni Party will continue its protests till the administration amend its orders and appoint members of the tribal community.
“It shows the intention of the administration that they do not want FRA to be implemented in Kathua and other districts wherever we have complaints about the administration. We will raise this issue before the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha,” he said.