Team Herald
PORVORIM: The State government on Friday introduced the Goa Preservation of Trees (amendment) Bill 2017 proposing to grant coconut palm State Tree status.
The Bill, introduced by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Legislative Assembly, encourages commercial plantation on private non-forest land.
The Bill seeks to insert a new section 7A to the Act so as to empower the government to declare the coconut palm as State Tree.
The Bill also proposes to replace old, unyielding coconut palms with new ones and remove palms which are likely to cause danger to life or property. “For this purpose, application has to be made to agriculture officer, having jurisdiction of the area, who shall deal with the same as prescribed,” the Bill stated.
