The Congress accused the central government over abdicating its responsibility toward protecting tribal rights and stated that the new forest conservation rules will disempower crores tribal and others staying in forest.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, however, rejected the charge, saying the new rules “do not dilute or infringe on” the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and that the Narendra Modi government remains committed to protecting the rights of the tribals.
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“‘Modi-Mitr’ Sarkar at its crony best! For ‘ease of snatching’ forest land, the BJP government has come up with new FC Rules, 2022 diluting UPA’s Forest Rights Act, 2006,” Gandhi wrote on Twitter.
“Congress stands strongly with our Adivasi brothers and sisters in their fight to protect ‘Jal, Jungle and Zameen’,” he added.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary also stepped into the matter and said the rules issued recently allow forest rights to be settle only after the final approval granted by the Centre.
“Obviously, this has been done in the name of ‘ease of doing business’ for a chosen few. But it will end the ‘ease of living’ for the vast many,” he said in a statement.
The former Union environment minister said this destroys the very purpose of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and its meaningful use while considering proposals for diversion of forest land.
“Once forest clearance is granted, everything else becomes a mere formality and almost inevitably, no claims will be recognised and settled. The state governments will be under even greater pressure from the Centre to accelerate the process of diversion of forest land,” Ramesh said.
