TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Committee constituted to prepare comprehensive policy for inspection, verification, monitoring of granting of clearances and identification of forests as per Supreme Court guidelines has felt that monitoring is the weakest link in the entire process.
“An effective system for monitoring of compliance to conditions stipulated in the approvals accorded under the FC Act, by the user agency and the Centre as well as the concerned State/ UT Government needs to be put in place,” says the Revised draft Policy on Inspection, Verification, Monitoring and Overall Procedure Relating to Grant of Forest Clearances and Identification of Forests for comments from the stakeholders put up on the website for comments by the Union Environment and Forests ministry.
It has recommended “A transparent, effective and unbiased system to facilitate expeditious follow up action in case of non-compliance/ violation of stipulated conditions” be put in place and proposes that the following system for monitoring and follow is done to ensure compliance to conditions stipulated in the approvals accorded under the FC Act.
The Supreme Court in their Judgment dated 6th July 2011 had directed that the MoEF will prepare a comprehensive policy. Accordingly, the MoEF constituted a Committee on 5th July 2012 with Addl Director General of Forests (Forest Conservation) in the MoEF to formulate a draft policy.
The major area of concern in the forest clearance process is the huge backlog in execution of the measures “stipulated in the approval accorded under the FC Act to mitigate impact of diversion of forest land on flora, fauna and environment.” Though the funds for execution of these measures are realized before transfer of forest land to the user agency, a sum of more than Rs 25,000 crore is presently lying unutilized with the ad-hoc CAMPA.
