PANJIM: The Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Forests was misguided by NGOs on the issue of declassification of coconut from the purview of ‘tree’, State Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar said on Wednesday. He added that the Committee has directed the State government to take the NGOs and civil society members into confidence trying to convince them of its decision.
Speaking to Herald, Arlekar said the Committee was convinced of the State government’s move to amend the Goa Preservation of Trees (amendment) Act, which has removed coconut from the ‘tree’ category, so as to simplify procedure for felling the tree, which are damaged and a nuisance. “I told the Chairman of the Committee that States like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have brought in legislations wherein, coconut along with trees like cashew and mango are removed from the ‘permission’ category. There you don’t require permission to cut coconut,” he said.
Arlekar on Sunday met the committee Chairman, MP Ashwani Kumar, to make the committee understand the State’s reason for bringing about the amendment. The Committee at its meeting with NGOs on Saturday had expressed shock over the decision and had resolved to recommend that the Central government intervene in the matter.
“The Chairman was fully convinced with whatever facts I put in. I even gave him the Bill to study. He (Chairman) then said that when the legislation will help in promotion of coconut, why is there so much opposition. He claimed the entire move as politically motivated,” Arlekar said adding, “It was noticed by me that the Committee was totally misguided by the NGOs and those present at the meeting.”
Arlekar said the committee has directed the State government to meet with the NGOs and other non-political groups, opposing the amendment, and put up the government’s motive behind the decision. “I have decided to call for the meeting,” he said.
Reiterating that the government never said that coconut is a ‘palm’ or ‘grass’, the minister said that with the amendment, the coconut is brought under the Agriculture department by removing it from the purview of Forest Act. “Coconut plantation being a commercial activity has to be under the Agriculture department,” he added.
The BJP-led government is currently facing major opposition over its decision to declassify coconut as a ‘tree’. With a series of protests across the State, NGOs and like-minded people have also petitioned the Goa Governor not to grant consent to the Bill, which was passed during the recent Winter Session.
