The Congress on August 2 said the manner in which the Forest Bill had been “bulldozed” through Parliament reflected the mindset of the Modi government and could be a “case study on how to completely subvert the legislative process”.
In a statement, Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said a vast gap existed between the “global talk and domestic walk” of the government on issues of environment, forests and tribal rights.
On Tuesday, amid a walkout by the Opposition parties, the Rajya Sabha passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, after a brief debate. The Bill seeks to exempt land within 100 km of the country’s borders from the purview of conservation laws and permit the setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas. Lok Sabha passed the Bill on July 27.
Mr. Ramesh said the Bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha on March 29 (during the Budget Session) and it made several “far-reaching and radical” amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
“The journey of the Bill to soon becoming a law is a case study on how to completely subvert the legislative process,” he said in a statement, adding that the Bill should have been referred to the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which he heads.
Mr. Ramesh listed out the substantive objections to the amendments to the Bill and said the very name of the law had been being changed. “For the first time a law passed by Parliament will have its short title entirely in Hindi without an official English equivalent. This does injustice to non-Hindi speaking States,” he said.
The Bill will now be known as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, which translates to Forest (Conservation and Enrichment) Act.
