Lok Sabha today passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 amid din. The Bill seeks to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act. These include land within 100 kilometers of the country's border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to habitation. The Act specifies some activities that can be carried out in forests, such as establishing check posts, fencing, and bridges.  The Bill also allows running of zoos, safaris, and eco-tourism facilities.
 
Replying to a brief discussion over the Bill, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said, amendments in the Forest Conservation Bill will safeguard the interests of the tribal community, strengthen border areas, encourage agro-forestry and provide scope for taking up developments for the forest dwellers. He ruled out the concerns raised by a few Opposition members that the tribal community will be evicted with the amendment in the Bill. He said, the tribal habitations will benefit from this.
 
Diya Kumari, and Raju Bishta of BJP, B Chandra Sekhar of YSR Congress, Bhawana Gawali of Shiv Sena, Ritesh Pandey of BSP, Bhartruhari Mahtab of BJD also spoke on the Bill.