National
RS passes forest bill to remove bamboo from ‘tree’ category
New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which excludes bamboo from the definition of “tree”, even as the opposition members, opposing the Bill and questioning the government’s intentions behind bringing this legislation, walked out.
The Bill will replace the Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance that was promulgated by the President on November 23 this year.
The Indian Forest Act, 1927, placed bamboo in the definition of “tree”, besides palms, stumps, brush-wood and canes, and hence felling and transportation of bamboo required permit.
The government argued that the exclusion of bamboo from the definition of “tree” would promote bamboo cultivation and reduce the country’s dependence on imported bamboo.
“The bamboo, though taxonomically a grass is treated as ‘tree’ for the purpose of the said Act, and therefore, attracts the requirement of permit for transit under the said Act. Although many states have exempted felling and transit of various species of bamboos within the states, the inter-state movement of bamboos requires the amending measure,” Environment and Forest Minister Harsh Vardhan told the House as he presented the Bill.
“The farmers face hardships in getting the permits for felling and transit of bamboos, which has been identified as a major impediment in the cultivation of bamboos by farmers on their land.
“Hence, it was decided to amend Clause (7) of Section 2 of the said Act, so as to omit the word ‘bamboos’ from the definition of ‘tree’, in order to exempt bamboos grown on non-forest area from the requirement of permit for felling or transit under the said Act, and would encourage bamboo plantation by farmers resulting in the enhancement of their income from agricultural fields,” the minister said.
However, the opposition MPs from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India opposed the Bill contending that it would only benefit the big industrialists, timber mafia and the rich and not the farmers as claimed by the government.
The opposition members expressed concern that the amended law would encourage illegal felling of bamboos in the forests as there was no way to differentiate between privately cultivated bamboo and the forest bamboo while being transported.
They also claimed that the law would pave the way for encroachment on the tribal people’s and forest dwellers’ rights. The opposition also wanted to know as to what was the hurry to amend the law through an Ordinance just ahead of a Parliament session.
Another objection raised by some of the opposition MPs was that states were not consulted before bringing the Ordinance or the Bill.
In his reply, Harsh Vardhan said that India produces only half the quantity of bamboo consumed by it in various industries and the rest had to be imported.
However, Congress member and former Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh said his party was not satisfied by the minister’s reply and hence they were walking out.
A few other MPs from other parties followed suit and walked out of the House before it passed the Bill with a voice vote.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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