Alleging privatisation of forests under the Modi government, the Congress on Friday said it will raise the issue during the Budget Session of Parliament.
Alleging privatisation of forests under the Modi government, the Congress on Friday said it will raise the issue during the Budget Session of Parliament. “A series of actions of the Modi government are diluting and weakening the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. The actions particularly include notification of rules under the colonial Indian Forest Act ,guidelines for privatisation of forests, diversion of forest lands without the consent of the gram sabhas, massive plantation in tribal lands, among many others.
These moves have greatly affected the early gains made by the FRA in empowering the tribals and even halted the process of implementation in many states. All these exhibit an intolerance towards the democratic governance of forests in the country and the protective legislations (FRA, PESA) enacted after a long struggle by the tribal and forest dwellers,” said former Union minister and party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh.
“Yeh van adikar aadhiniyam 2006 ka antim sanskar hai (this is like last rites on the Forest Rights Act, 2006), Mr Ramesh told reporters. This is a dangerous step taken by the Modi government but not figured in the media. However, the Congress would take up the issue in Parliament, he said.
After its success on the issue of the Land Acquisition Bill, the Congress is launching a national campaign to protect the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which it alleges is being diluted by the ruling BJP.
Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi also convened a meeting of the PCC chiefs here recently to review MGNREGA implementation under the Modi dispensation. Mr Gandhi would be visiting a village in Anantpur district of Telangana on February 2 to mark the tenth anniversary of launching the ambitious scheme there.
Insisting that the FRA is one of the outstanding achievements of the UPA government, Mr Ramesh said about 16.7 lakh forest dwellers, predominantly tribals, have received legal titles for the lands they have been cultivating for decades.
