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Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Thursday raised concerns after 150 civil society groups and activists wrote to the Prime Minister, accusing the Environment Ministry of weakening the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
The letter written by the civil societies highlighted issues like plans to evict 65,000 families from tiger reserves, misuse of data on forest encroachment, and recent laws that hurt forest quality and tribal livelihoods. In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh, "Recently, 150 civil society organisations and activists wrote a letter to the Prime Minister expressing serious concern over the role of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in systematically weakening the Forest Rights Act, 2006." https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1940688408487022840 The letter highlights that the Forest Rights Act, 2006, is being wrongly blamed for forest loss, unverified data is being shared with Parliament and the NGT, and a June 2024 order could force 65,000 families out of tiger reserves. It also criticises the Indian Forest Survey for wrongly linking forest decline to the Act. "The letter highlighted five key points: Statements made by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change himself, which hold the Forest Rights Act, 2006 responsible for the degradation and loss of the country's major forest areas. The continuous presentation of legally unverified data on forest encroachment before Parliament and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The order issued in June 2024 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority to evict approximately 65,000 families from tiger reserves across the country. The Indian Forest Survey wrongly attributes the decline in forest area over the past decade to the Forest Rights Act. The Forest (Conservation) Act Amendment passed in 2023 without adequate parliamentary debate and the subsequent implementation of the 'Forest Conservation and Enhancement Rules, 2023'--which have impacted both the quantity and quality of forests," the post reads. Ramesh said that the recent forest policies threaten the livelihoods of tribal communities and India's ecological security. He criticised the Modi government's record, saying it has shown little willingness to address these important issues or engage in dialogue with affected communities. "These issues are particularly significant for tribal and other communities living in forest areas, whose livelihoods depend on forests. Moreover, they are extremely critical for India's ecological security. Unfortunately, the track record of the Modi government so far does not inspire confidence that these important questions will be addressed, nor that there will be any dialogue with the communities directly affected by these policies," the post reads. (ANI)
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