New Delhi | Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that exempts land within 100 km of the country's borders from the purview of conservation laws and permits setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas.
The Upper House passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 after a brief debate, though the opposition had walked out over the ethnic violence in Manipur.
The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on July 26.
During the debate, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said the Bill exempts certain types of land such as forest land along a rail line or a public road maintained by the government and providing access to a habitation, or to a rail and roadside amenity up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectares.
Exempted forest land includes land situated within 100 km of international borders, Line of Control and Line of Actual Control, and proposed to be used for the construction of strategic linear projects for national security.
The Bill also exempts land up to 10 hectares proposed to be used for constructing security-related infrastructure, land proposed to be used for defence-related projects or paramilitary forces' camp and public utility projects, as specified by the Centre, not exceeding 5 hectares in a left wing extremism-affected area.
The Bill empowers the central government to specify, by order, the terms and conditions subject to which any survey, such as reconnaissance, prospecting, investigation or exploration including seismic survey, shall not be treated as non-forest purpose.
Besides, there is a provision to acquire up to 5 hectare of land in left-wing extremism areas, he added.
BJD's Prashanta Nanda supported the bill but said deemed forests need to be included in the definition of forests in accordance with a Supreme Court judgement of 1995 as lots of good forest areas which are neither notified nor forest in government records are now going to be diverted and destroyed.
Under the provisions of the bill, forest land that will also be exempted includes land situated within 100 km along the international borders, Line of Control, or Line of Actual Control, proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear projects for national importance or security.
It also exempts land up to 10 hectares, proposed to be used for constructing security related infrastructure, or land proposed to be used for constructing defence related projects, camp for paramilitary forces, or public utility projects as specified by the central government not exceeding five hectares in a left wing extremism affected area.
The bill also seeks to empower the central government to specify, by order, the terms and conditions subject to which any survey, such as, reconnaissance, prospecting, investigation or exploration including seismic survey, shall not be treated as non-forest purpose.
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, is an important central statute for the conservation of forests in the country. It provides that the de-reservation of reserved forests, use of forest land for non-forest purpose, assigning forest land by way of lease or otherwise to private entity and clearing of naturally grown trees for the purpose of re-afforestation requires prior permission of the central government.
