'Passing bill without opposition is a case study,'' says Jairam Ramesh on Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on August 2 took a dig at the BJP-led central government and said that passing a bill in the absence of opposition is a case study on how to completely subvert the legislative process.

The Congress leader's reaction came after the centre on August 2 passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 in Rajya Sabha in the absence of opposition and accused them of making radical amendments to the Forest (Conversation) Act, 1980.

''The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 which makes several far-reaching and radical amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has just passed in Rajya Sabha now in the absence of the Opposition that is being silenced on Manipur. The journey of the Bill to soon becoming law is a case study on how to completely subvert the legislative process,'' he tweeted. 

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 that makes several far-reaching and radical amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has just passed in Rajya Sabha now in the absence of the Opposition that is being silenced on Manipur. The journey of the Bill to soon… pic.twitter.com/WZgGVJtIBr

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 2, 2023

Jairam further said that both the substance of the amendments and the manner they have been bulldozed through in Parliament, reflect the mindset of the Modi Government. 

''The vast gap that exists between its global talk and domestic walk on the environment, forests, and the rights of Adivasis and other forest-dwelling communities,'' he added.

He said that the bill should have been referred to the Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change which is being chaired by him. 

''I had taken serious objections to this and put them on record as well not once but twice. Instead, a Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) was set up with a ruling party MP as its chair,'' he added.

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