Carbon Copy A freshly passed amendment to the Forest Conservation Act has created a stir among ecologists, parliamentarians and stakeholders. With several contentious provisions, the amendment reveals an afforestation push where rights and justice take a backseat to commercial interests. This week, amidst a raucous monsoon session, the Indian parliament saw the passage of several consequential pieces of legislation in quick succession. Among them was the contentious amendment to the Forest Conservation...
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Over 3 Lakh Hectares of Forest Land Diverted for Non-Forest Use in the Last 15 Years - Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
The recently concluded parliament session saw the passage of the highly controversial “Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023” amid wide protests and without much discussion. The bill is aimed to amend the erstwhile Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Among the changes suggested, the below preamble was inserted into the act, and the “Forest (Conservation) Act” is substituted by “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam” in the principal Act. While the Environment Ministry claims that...
More »Lok Sabha Standing Committee Concerned about Reduction in MGNREGA Budget, Recommends Increase
A report released by a parliamentary standing committee has expressed concern over the reduction of funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The report by the Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj released on 14 March, 2023 said that the Budget Estimates for MGNREGS has been reduced by Rs. 29,400 Crore for 2023-24 when compared to the Revised Estimates of 2022-23. The report said...
More »New Changes to MPLADS Will Make it More Centralised and Less Inclusive - John Brittas
The Wire In a country like India where inequality is so prominent, a development scheme can come a cropper if it lacks inclusivity. The Member of parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) was launched in 1993 to enable parliamentarians to directly contribute towards meeting the development demands of their constituency or state. Despite many deficiencies plaguing the scheme, it stood out mainly on account of the principles of social justice and its...
More »Real Wages Declined for Rural Indians in 2022, a Year When the Economy Somewhat Recovered
The year 2022 was supposed to mark the recovery of the Indian economy from the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns of the preceding two years. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February pushed up prices of food, fuel and fertilizer worldwide. In India consumer price inflation, which had declined to under 5 percent in the September-November period of 2021, has steadily increased, staying above 6 percent throughout 2022. What happened to rural incomes in 2022? An...
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