The Bill, which seeks to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 proposes to exempt certain categories of lands from the legal purview to fast-track strategic and security-related projects of national importance. The forest land it proposes to exclude (from legal protection) are those notified as forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or that in government records after the formulation of the 1980 Act.
The Bill also seeks to redefine the reach of non-forest purpose exemptions under Section 2 of the Forest conservation Act.
The new law would exclude, forest land within a distance of 100 km along Indias international borders including the Line of Actual Control (LAC), from its ambit so that the land can be used by the government for national security projects, public roads and other strategic projects.
The Bill also seeks to remove the protection given by the present law to forests located along RAILWAY lines or public roads maintained by the government.
Under the new law, the would be required to get the prior permission of the Centre to assign any forest land to a private entity. The terms and conditions for the approved entity would be set by the Centre.
Under the new Act, the government would be able to build check posts, fences and bridges and run zoos, safaris as well as eco-tourism activities included in the Forest Working Plan/Wildlife Management Plan/Tiger Conservation Plan, inside forests.
Some rights groups and Opposition parties have criticised the provisions of the Bill, asserting that these will compromise safeguards for the countrys forests.
The Congress had earlier vociferously opposed the decision to send the bill to a JPC instead of sending the same to a standing committee on Science and Technology, Environment, forests and Climate-change”>Climate Change.