Unable to allot forestland to disaster-hit people, government to move SC for change in law

The state government will move the Supreme Court to seek an amendment to the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980, and a change in the definition of forestland sto rehabilitate people who have lost their homes and land in natural disasters and also frame and implement policies under which land can be given to landless people or those having small landholdings for horticulture and agriculture purposes.

According to Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, the government does not have any land to grant to people for these objectives. “All we have is forestland that attracts the stringent Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and there’s no provision under this Act to give land for these purposes. So, we have decided to move the Supreme Court to seek a change in the definition of forestland,” he added.

Negi said, “As per the current definition, even a wasteland is a forestland in the state. The government can’t give even an inch of forestland to anyone without the approval of the Centre.”

As per the Forest Survey of India, 2023, Himachal has a whopping 68.16 per cent as Recorded Forest Area (RFA) out of its total geographical area. Only Sikkim, Manipur and Uttarakhand have a higher RFA than Himachal, he added.

The minister said that the government had framed a policy under which it would give two biswas in rural areas and three biswas in urban areas to landless people for building houses. “We are not able to implement even this policy. Until the Forest Conservation Act is amended, these policies can’t be implemented,” he added.

Negi said the affected people should seek land under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. “People can lay claim to forestland under the Act. People are still not using this law to get land. One can get up to 50 bighas under it,” he added.