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| Forest Matter: SC asks states, UTs to constitute expert committee within month | | | Agencies
NEW DELHI, Mar 4: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all the states and Union Territories to constitute within a month expert committee for preparing a consolidated record of lands, including forest like areas, unclassed and community forest lands. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih said the expert committee shall complete within six months the exercise as required under Rule 16 (1) of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023. The bench noted that rule 16 (1) required all the state governments and Union Territories to prepare a consolidated record of such lands, including forest like areas identified by the expert committee, unclassed forest lands and community forest lands to which the provisions of the 2023 forest conservation law would be applicable. It passed the order while hearing a batch of pleas against the amendments to the 2023 forest conservation law. The bench observed that once the exercise, as required to be done under rule 16 (1) was complete, it would lead to resolution of many issues. "We, therefore, direct all the states and Union Territories, in which the expert committee has not yet been constituted, to constitute such committees within a period of one month from today," the bench said. It noted that as per the Centre's affidavit, certain states have not appointed the expert committee yet. "The said committee shall complete the exercise as required under rule 16 (1) of the said Rules along with the directions issued by this court… within a period of six months from today and submit a report to the Union of India," it said. The bench said the Centre shall consolidate the state wise position and place the same before the court. It said the apex court's registrar (judicial) shall communicate its order to the chief secretary of all the states and also to the administrators of the Union Territories. The bench clarified that if the directions were not followed in letter and spirit by the states and Union Territories, it would hold the chief secretaries and administrators responsible for the lapse and consider taking such steps as found appropriate.
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