Role of Joint Forest Management in National Afforestation Programme with emphasis on microplanning of Anantnag Forest Division, J & K

It is a sincere effort with a solemn belief and fervent endeavour to bring out the picture of the Forest Development Agencies (FDA’s) and Village Forest Committees (VFC’s) in Kashmir context with special reference to microplanning of village Checki Badwani areas I visited. The emphasis was on the project to give a thorough and well-graded insight into the dynamics of Village Forest Committees (VFC’s). The whole process was carried out in a logical and phased manner using the research tool as PRA, RRA and group discussions. The Joint Forest Management (JFM) was formally adopted in Jammu & Kashmir State by issuing a notification SRO 61 dated 19-03-1992. But the State of Jammu & Kashmir had already introduced the concept way back in 1982 in its World Bank aided Social Forestry Project. According to Roy and Chatterjee (1994), “A vital aspect micro-planning is to involve the village community in generating local data, assess and priorities their socio-economic needs in relation to forests”.