Government is expected to cross the Rajya Sabha hurdle in getting the crucial GST bill passed during monsoon session, but the other important bill that has been on the PM's priority list -the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) bill -looks set to get stuck as the Congress decides to move an amendment to it in the RS.
The bill, passed in the Lok Sabha in May, is meant to unlock nearly Rs 42,000 crore that has been lying unspent for years. This amount, deposited by user agencies which divert forest land for non-forest purpose, is supposed to be utilized to mitigate impact of diversion of the forest land through afforestation. “Yes, I am moving the amendment for sure (on party's behalf)“, said Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh.
The Congress had made its intention clear in May when Ramesh had written to the then environment mini ster Prakash Javadekar, listing its objection to the bill in its present form. Javadekar had, however, said that the ministry had no intention of changing the proposed legislation in any way as it had already incorporated “practically all suggestions“ made by the parliamentary stan ding committee.
The Congress is, however, adamant. The party had insisted that the proposed amendment was meant for ensuring certain safeguards to protect legal rights of tribals and forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act.
Asked whether the new environment minister Anil Madhav Dave approached his party to resolve the issue, Ramesh said, “The new minister has not reached out (to his party)“ -an indication of the deadlock when even the Left parties and JD (U) had opposed the CAF bill in its present form.
Since the NDA does not have the required numbers to get the bill passed without the support of non-Congress opposition parties, the proposed legislation will likely get stuck.
The Times of India, New Delhi, 16 July 2016
The bill, passed in the Lok Sabha in May, is meant to unlock nearly Rs 42,000 crore that has been lying unspent for years. This amount, deposited by user agencies which divert forest land for non-forest purpose, is supposed to be utilized to mitigate impact of diversion of the forest land through afforestation. “Yes, I am moving the amendment for sure (on party's behalf)“, said Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh.
The Congress had made its intention clear in May when Ramesh had written to the then environment mini ster Prakash Javadekar, listing its objection to the bill in its present form. Javadekar had, however, said that the ministry had no intention of changing the proposed legislation in any way as it had already incorporated “practically all suggestions“ made by the parliamentary stan ding committee.
The Congress is, however, adamant. The party had insisted that the proposed amendment was meant for ensuring certain safeguards to protect legal rights of tribals and forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act.
Asked whether the new environment minister Anil Madhav Dave approached his party to resolve the issue, Ramesh said, “The new minister has not reached out (to his party)“ -an indication of the deadlock when even the Left parties and JD (U) had opposed the CAF bill in its present form.
Since the NDA does not have the required numbers to get the bill passed without the support of non-Congress opposition parties, the proposed legislation will likely get stuck.
The Times of India, New Delhi, 16 July 2016
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