Kerala Congress toughens stance – The Hindu

Toughening his stance against the Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, Kerala Congress leader and Kottayam MP, K. Francis George stated that the Forest Minister A. K. Saseendran issued the notification for amending the Act without understanding the facts.

Responding to the Forest Minister’s statement that the controversy is being raised without checking the facts on the amendment of the Forest Act, Mr.George asserted that the proposed amendments in the act granted extensive powers to the Forest Department while neglecting the plight of hill farmers.

“The legal provision allows the Forest department to take action against people if a rubble falls from a janda erected by the department, or if fencing systems are damaged by wild animals. Similarly, fishing in streams, rivers, and water bodies near the forest is strictly prohibited. This legislation would place all water bodies in the State under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department in future’‘, he said.

According to him, the new Bill empowered even forest watchers who are temporary employees of the forest department to detain and search vehicles; forest beat officers to arrest a person and search houses and buildings without warrant at any midnight, which is an encroachment on fundamental human rights.

“Currently, the Forest Department only has jurisdiction within the forest. However, granting police powers to the Forest Department under the guise of addressing law and order issues is a covert move to create a parallel administration of the Forest Department. The new law is designed in a manner that could potentially incriminate farmers who use methods like firecrackers to scare away wild animals,” he said.