Using heavy machinery and working after dark, contractors and possibly even government agencies are flouting many of the clearly stated rules for environmental protection.

While forest dwellers in states like Odisha reap the full benefits of the Act that ensures the security of their way of life, those in the union territory are steadily being denied their rights.

In 2019, the Union government promised to provide Jammu and Kashmir with rights the erstwhile state had earlier been deprived of. But without a democratically-elected local government, the people feel disempowered.

Progressive Central laws on the right to information, forest rights and land acquisition, which could have benefited the people of the UT, are not being implemented on the ground.

On certain counts, the erstwhile state’s own RTI Act was stronger than the Union law. Its repeal when Article 370 was read down has led to chaos and complications.

Recent social audits proved that corruption continues across civic bodies.