Rajya Sabha finally takes up CAMPA

Seeking to include Gram Sabhas in the process of compensatory afforestation, senior Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh moved an amendment on the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Bill in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Bill, passed by Lok Sabha in May this year, proposes to create national and state authorities and a Compensatory Afforestation Fund, for approving plans to execute compensatory afforestation works. The Bill will unlock Rs.42,000 crores.

The house decided to take up CAMPA bill at a meeting called by the chairman, Hamid Ansari of all party leaders where he sought members' indulgence in taking up important legislative business.

When some members showed reluctance to take up the bill after short duration discussion on price rise got over at 6:20 pm deputy chairman P J Kurien made a fervent appeal saying, "if the bill is not taken up today he would fail in his duty as deputy chairman."

Speaking for nearly 30 minutes, Ramesh contended that the Bill in its current form will dilute the "historic" Forest Rights Act, 2006, as compensatory afforestation will not be done in consonance with the Gram Sabhas, thus conflicting with their right to individual and community titles. He sought to emphasize that the Bill will "only strengthen forest departments and state governments and will not empower the tribal communities, forest dwellers and Gram Sabhas."

"There is no explicit provision regarding Forest Rights Act, 2006. When FRA was passed unanimously in both houses, it was felt that this was first time in independent India that historical injustices were corrected. But today, I am afraid we are doing bypass surgery. I appeal to all political parties to accept my amendment," Ramesh said.

While illustrating alleged dilution of Forest Rights Act, Jairam Ramesh said that using an ordinance, the Chhattisgarh state government cancelled the community rights of tribals in Ghatbara, Surguja for a coal mining project of a private company. While not naming it, Ramesh was referring to Adani Power's 600MW project where tribals have opposed the cancelling of community rights and the project too.

Ramesh also said that the Maharashtra state government, using the Village Forest Rules is giving rights to the forest department to take back rights of tribals over forests. He also added that the union environment ministry has opened up forests for private players after introducing draft guidelines on public-private partnerships in forestry.

Ramesh urged the House to support his amendment either explicitly or in spirit and said that he supports passage of the Bill. "I support the Bill but mine is a limited support. We need to unlock money, but it should be to strengthen forest dwellers and tribals," he said seeking support also from the union environment and forests minister, Anil Madhav Dave.