The Meghalaya chief minister, Conrad Sangma, has come out in support of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, rejecting a request from Adelbert Nongrum, a member of the opposition Voice of People’s Party, to present a resolution opposing the bill in the House.
Nongrum’s main concern was the perceived elimination of the need for forest clearance for projects located within 100 kilometres of the international border. In response, the chief minister clarified that while forest clearance might no longer be required, other clearances would still be necessary.
Despite this clarification, Nongrum persisted in his request to proceed with the resolution opposing the bill citing the examples of Mizoram and Nagaland, which had passed resolutions against the amended Forest Act.
Sangma emphasized that the amended act grants the government full authority over forest management. He explained, “Under the new definition, a forest is defined under the Indian Forest Act or any other applicable law.”
Furthermore, the chief minister noted that in addition to the opinion of the state advocate general, the director general of forests in New Delhi has expressed a willingness to engage in discussions on the matter. He said, “We can seek further clarifications.”
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 has already been approved by Parliament. The bill narrows the conservation scope of the Forest Act to specific forest lands, exempts border lands from the requirement to obtain permissions for forest clearance for constructing “strategic linear projects of national importance,” and permits certain non-forest activities on forest lands, such as operating zoos and eco-tourism facilities.