In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Government is relentlessly making all out efforts to protect the interests of tribal people, including their land, education and upliftment of their socio-economic status. In this regard, J&K government has recently scripted history with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, handing over individual and community rights certificates to the beneficiaries of Gujjar, Bakarwal and Gaddi Sippi communities under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.<br />''<br />''The initiative was hailed as a significant step with a potential to transform the lives of members of tribal communities across Jammu and Kashmir.<br />''Describing the occasion as "historic", Manoj Sinha expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making it possible to implement the Act in Jammu and Kashmir. He maintained that the move will usher a new era of empowerment and prosperity for the deprived tribal population in the Union Territory.<br />''<br />''The tribal communities were not only provided rights on forest land but they also got rights over minor forest produce. The government, in coordination with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited, will establish infrastructure for the collection, value addition, packaging, and distribution of this forest produce.<br />''<br />''In areas where community rights have been granted, Rs 10 crore is provided for infrastructure development including works on roads, power supply, Anganwadi centres etc.<br />''<br />''The community had struggled for more than 14 years to get their rights, it was only in Manoj Sinha led administration, rights were conferred upon the tribal community through the implementation of Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, keeping in mind the basic spirit of social equality and harmony as guided by the constitution of country and the Parliament.<br />''<br />''For providing education on modern lines to Tribal children, the UT government's started an ambitious project of transforming 200 Schools into Smart Schools in Tribal areas at a cost of Rs 40 crores.<br />''<br />''The modernization of Smart Schools initiative would be completed by March 2022. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has congratulated the Tribal communities for the historic beginning of the new era of educational empowerment of Tribals in J&K. <br />