Rajya Sabha Passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the contentious Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 after the opposition walked out. The bill aims to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, extending and exempting specific types of land from its applicability. It seeks to increase the forest cover for carbon sink creation by 2030.
The Bill clarifies the Act's applicability to various lands, extending it to notified forest lands and certain other categories. However, certain lands are exempted, including forests alongside rail lines, international borders, and those proposed for strategic projects or defense-related purposes.
Key challenges include concerns about adverse impacts on forest cover and wildlife in border areas due to exemptions for national security projects. The Bill also removes the central government's mandatory approval for forest diversion, giving more authority to state governments and UT administrations.
The opposition raised objections to the exemptions, stating they could lead to biodiversity and forest coverage issues, especially in the Himalayan region. Concerns were also raised about the potential exploitation of forest land for non-forest purposes and violation of the Forest Rights Act.
Additionally, there were objections to changing the short title of the Act, as it might ignore non-Hindi speaking populations in the country.
