NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India MP D. Raja has criticised the Union Environment and Forests Ministry for the manner in which it had bypassed Parliament, ignoring the Standing Committee recommendations on the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds.
‘Disturbing’
Describing the Ministry’s recent moves as “disturbing,” Mr. Raja, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the Ministry had done little to comply with the Standing Committee’s report and address the concerns it raised. Such actions could not be condoned as the government claimed to be concerned about the rights of forest dwellers and the protection of the environment. It was important that the government take steps to frame a Bill as per the Standing Committee’s recommendations. “In the wake of debates on global warming and climate change, effective protection of natural forests, environmentally sound measures to respond to deforestation and effective safeguards for the rights of marginalised communities are vital,” Mr. Raja said, seeking Dr. Singh’s intervention.
“Rights ignored”
The Centre had introduced a Bill in 2008 to access Rs. 11,400 crore in the CAMPA fund by creating a statutory CAMPA authority. The Standing Committee rejected the Bill because of the lack of respect for the rights of forest dwellers, centralisation of decision-making, and the fact that it did not address the fundamental issues in the diversion procedure under the Forest (Conservation) Act, Mr. Raja said.
Hence, it was expected that the Ministry would re-frame the Bill as per the Standing Committee’s recommendations and table it in Parliament. “Yet, I learned to my shock and dismay recently that the Ministry has now decided to bypass Parliament and instead seek approval from the Supreme Court. Instead of redrafting the Bill and approaching Parliament, the Ministry approached the Attorney-General and a Supreme Court-appointed committee.”
