NEW DELHI: A group of ministers (GoM) discussed the Draft National Forest Policy, 2020 — pending for the last four years — during the lockdown, and approved it with some suggestions and finally, sent it to the PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat for consideration, according to a note by environment secretary RP Gupta accessed by this newspaper.
The policy has been pending since 2016 after it drew criticism and was withdrawn by the Environment Ministry. Another 10-page draft was brought in 2018 and a revised version last year. The sticking points include that it undermines rights of the traditional forest dwellers, ropes in private players for afforestation and rather than focusing on forest preservation, it talks of raising plantations.
“The GoM discussed the National Forest Policy, 2020 in meetings held on April 21 and May 15 and had approved the same with some suggestions. The final note for the cabinet for approval of National Forest Policy 2020 was submitted on May 21 to the PMO and cabinet secretariat for consideration and approval,” wrote Gupta on June 11.