The President of India on Thursday empowered the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Union Territory to exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the State Government under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 within the UT.The Union Home Ministry today issued a notification to delegate the powers vested with the state government under the Forest Rights Act to LG Ladakh. “In pursuance of clause (1) of article 239 of the Constitution, the President hereby directs that the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory of Ladakh shall, subject to the control of the President and until further orders, also exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the State Government under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (2 of 2007) within the said Union Territory,” read the notification a copy of which is in possession of news agency.The law became applicable to J&K and Ladakh UTs from October 31, 2019 after the Parliament approved its application to both the UTs through The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act -2019.The Forest Rights Act (FRA) recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources, on which these communities are dependent for livelihood, habitation and other socio-cultural needs
