The government has issued an order clarifying that no government authority or official should deny any services or legal rights of the people in the name of the Kasturirangan report without specific directive from the government. They cannot interpret the implications of the report or take any action on their own and deny legal rights of the people.
The order notes that the report did not cause any hindrance to the acceptance of land tax, registration of transfer of land, issue of titles or granting of permit for extraction of firewood. Officials should ensure that no such obstacle was put before people in such matters. The existing proceedings should continue. Strict action would be taken against officials failing to follow these directives.
The order said the clarification was being issued to address the concerns of the people as some officials had refused registration of documents and acceptance of tax and other services though the Union government order directing action on the basis of the Kasturirangan report did not apply to them in any manner.
The order of the Union government only banned mining, quarrying, sand mining, construction of thermal power plants and buildings of 20,000 square metres or above, township and area development projects of 50 hectares and above or built-up area of 1,50,000 square metres and above, and red categories of industries. These restrictions, which apply to ecologically sensitive areas alone, do not cause any hardships to the common man or farmers, it said.
It also specified that the order should be uploaded to government websites and sent to all government offices and heads of departments.
