LS passes Forest Amendment Bill
Amid protests by the Congress-led opposition, which has been seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response and presence in the Lok Sabha on the Manipur situation, the Lower House on Wednesday passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023.
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New Delhi Amid protests by the Congress-led opposition, which has been seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response and presence in the Lok Sabha on the Manipur situation, the Lower House on Wednesday passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, soon after the Bill was passed. The Bill seeks to amend the Forest Conservation Act (1980), which was brought in to prevent exploitation of India's forest reserves and gave powers to the Central government to compensate adequately for any land used for non-forest purposes.
The proposed legislation also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act. These include land within 100 km of India's border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation.
The state government requires prior approval of the central government to assign any forest land to a private entity.
