Amendment proposed on Forest (conservation) act 1980

Aim

To liberalise forest laws through facilitating private plantations for harvesting and exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas deep beneath forest land by drilling holes from outside the forest areas.

Proposed changes89

• Defining ‘Forests’: Deemed forests listed by state governments up to 1996 will continue to be considered forest land. Land that was acquired by the Railways and the road ministries before 1980, but on which forests came up, will no longer be considered forests.
• Strategic Projects: The forest land for strategic and security projects of national importance should be exempted from the need to obtain prior approval from the Central government.
• Facilitate new technologies such as Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) for extraction of oil and natural gas by kept such technologies outside the purview of act.