Congress attacks Union govt over new forest conservation rules; claims dilution of tribal rights under new arrangement

New Delhi, July 10

The recently issued Forest Conservation Rules 2022 on Sunday triggered a Twitter clash between Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav with the former claiming dilution of tribal rights under the new arrangement and the latter denying any such intent.

“Modi-Mitr’ Sarkar at its crony best! For ‘ease of snatching’ forest land, BJP govt has come up with new FC Rules, 2022 diluting UPA’s Forest Rights Act, 2006. Congress stands strongly with our Adivasi brothers & sisters in their fight to protect Jal, Jungle and Zameen,” former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said.

‘Modi-Mitr’ Sarkar at its crony best!

For ‘ease of snatching’ forest land, BJP govt has come up with new FC Rules, 2022 diluting UPA’s Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Congress stands strongly with our Adivasi brothers & sisters in their fight to protect Jal, Jungle and Zameen.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 10, 2022

Earlier, former environment minister and AICC general secretary communication Jairam Ramesh tweeted a statement saying the new rules would disempower tribals and other forest dwellers.

If anything demonstrates the Modi Sarkar’s TRUE intent on protecting & promoting interests of Adivasis, it is this decision, which will disempower crores of Adivasis & others living in forest areas:https://t.co/QQmjTgEIAa

Sharing INC’s statement on #AdivasiVirodhiNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/HRTOqpcnow

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 10, 2022

Ramesh said the rules reversed a 2009 safeguard whereby the Ministry of Environment and Forests could not grant any clearances for diversion of forest land unless rights of tribals and forest dwellers protected by the Forest Rights Act 2006 were first settled.

“In the new set of Rules the Government has allowed for forest rights to be settled after final approval for forest clearances has been granted by the Central Government. Obviously, this has been done in the name of ease of doing business for a chosen few. But it will end the ‘ease of living’ for the vast many. This destroys the very purpose of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and its meaningful use while considering proposals for diversion of forest land. Once forest clearance is granted, everything else becomes a mere formality and almost inevitably no claims will be recognised and settled. The state governments will be under even greater pressure from the Centre to accelerate the process of diversion of forest land,” Ramesh said.

The Congress vowed to challenge the FC Rules 2022 in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament starting July 18 saying these were brought without stakeholder consultation and without any discussion in the parliamentary standing committee on environment (which incidentally Jairam Ramesh chairs).

Bhupender Yadav, reacting to Ramesh’s claims of dilution of tribal rights said that Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022, are reformative with an objective to streamline the process of approvals under the Act, and enable the parallel processing under other Acts and Rules including Forest Rights Act 2006.

Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022, are reformative with an objective to streamline the process of approvals under the Act, and enable the parallel processing under other Acts and Rules including FRA, 2006. (1/2) https://t.co/6FXQ93eLWw pic.twitter.com/ME1T5bNvrm

— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) July 10, 2022

“The allegation is an ill-informed attempt to show that the Rules don’t care about the provisions of other laws. The government remains committed to protecting the rights of the Adivasis. No rule or provision of any Act is being diluted. The process has been streamlined for reducing timelines for arriving at the final decision,” the minister said.

The allegation is an ill-informed attempt to show that the Rules don’t care about the provisions of other laws.

The govt under Shri @narendramodi ji remains committed to protecting the rights of the Adivasis.

(2/2)

— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) July 10, 2022

Yadav also said that the environment ministry had promulgated the Forest Conservation Rules 2022 with the objective is to streamline the process of approvals under the Act 1980 by introducing the concept of collective decision making, parallel processing of proposals, addressing dynamic changes in the ecological values of trees and forests, adopting new technologies to smoothen and streamline the submission and processing of applications and to eliminate the redundant processes.

“Processes and provisions and we searched in the Forest conservation rules or not inconsistent with the other statutory laws including Forest rights act 2006, compliance of which can also be ensured simultaneously by the respective nodal implementing agencies to reduce the time lag and cost involved,” Yadav noted.

Reacting to Yadav’, Ramesh again took to Twitter saying, “Mantriji, Please don’t evade the main issue—that is, are you not making the Gram Sabha irrelevant?”

Mantri-ji,

Please don’t evade main issue—that is, are you not making the Gram Sabha irrelevant?

You may not have been briefed properly. Your new Rules go AGAINST the 2015 note of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs of Modi Sarkar, as reported by @newslaundry https://t.co/DIOeIkmSSu pic.twitter.com/xTyWw1wRR8

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 10, 2022