(a) whether the Government has received requests for allotment of degraded forest land for cultivation;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(c) the provision under various forest laws for such transfer of forest land; and
(d) the action taken by the Government on the requests received?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (d) Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 inter-alia provides that notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force in a State, no State Government or other authority shall make, except with the prior approval of the Central Government, any order directing that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any non-forest purpose. Use of forest land for non-forest purpose, including for cultivation, therefore, requires prior approval of Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose is accorded only after examining all feasible alternatives it is ascertained that requirement of forest land is unavoidable and bare minimum. Approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for non-site specific activities, such as for cultivation, are not accorded by the Central Government.
Central Government did not receive any proposal to divert forest land for cultivation.