The Hindu : Discussion on Preservation of Trees Bill inconclusive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Discussion on Preservation of Trees Bill inconclusive

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM AUG. 11. The Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Bill will not override other laws in permitting cutting of trees by registered holders and patta holders of land, if the House goes by the recommendation of the Subject Committee.

The House took up the Bill, reported by the Committee, on Monday but the discussion was inconclusive.

The Bill is aimed at bypassing an interim order of the High Court banning cutting of trees in the Wayanad district. It seeks to allow felling of trees other than 10 species specified in the parent Act by holders of any land without obtaining permission from the Forest Department.

The Subject Committee recommended that the stipulation that the felling could be done ''notwithstanding anything contained in other laws, contract, custom or usage'' should be deleted. This recommendation would be normally accepted by the House as it has the support of the Government.

The CPI(M) members, K.V. Kunhiraman and Manjalamkuzhi Ali, expressed dissent to the report of the Committee noting that provisions of the Bill were likely to be misused by patta holders, including estates.

They said the absence of a ceiling on the land from which the trees could be cut would lead to largescale felling of forest trees.

Mr. Kunhiraman told the House that cutting of trees without permission had been allowed in 1993. However, the then Minister, K. P. Viswanathan, had to withdraw the order as it had led to largescale felling of trees.

Mr. Ali said that the parent Act was being diluted to bypass the Court order.

N. D. Appachan (Congress) said that the people of Wayanad had launched agitations as they had even been prevented from cutting jack fruit and mango trees on land in their possession. The law was not intended to allow cutting of trees in forests.

Mathai Chacko (CPI-M) said that while the Opposition supported the Bill, it feared largescale felling of trees because of the approach of the Government to such issues. The existing provisions of the Act permitted cutting of jack fruit and mango trees, he noted.

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