Forest bureaucracy to get more policing powers, including higher immunity to use firearms and override Forest Rights Act
New Delhi:
The Union government has proposed an overhaul of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 which the British rulers imposed to take over Indian forests, use them to produce timber, while curtailing and extinguishing rights of millions. But, in the draft law to replace the colonial-era act, the Union government has proposed to not only retain but enhance policing and quasi-judicial powers that the forest officials enjoyed under the original act and provide them yet more. This includes powers to use firearms with exceptional levels of immunity from prosecution.The draft Indian Forest Act, 2019 prepared by the Union government providing these exceptional powers has been shared with the state governments for consultations which are to be completed by June 7. Business Standard reviewed a copy of the draft law and a comparison matrix that the Union government provided between the new draft and the original 1927 law.
The draft law also proposes to restore higher management powers and a degree of veto power with the forest bureaucracy over the Forest Rights Act, 2006 Forest officials would be able to deny or extinguish rights over traditional forests of tribals, even those already recognised under the FRA, reduce or restrict tribals and forest dwellers’ access to forest produce (which they own under the FRA), and diminish the role of gram sabhas (village assemblies) by running a parallel system of "village forests” in which forest officials would have the last say.
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