Centre on the defensive over Congress’s accusations of ‘subverting’ Forest Act

Hours after former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh accused the Ministry of “subverting” the implementation of the Forest Rights Act under the Narendra Modi-led government, the Union Environment Ministry issued a statement, saying that such references “reflect a gross misunderstanding of facts,” adding that it remains “committed to protecting forests, India’s green cover, and communities dependent on them or living in the vicinity of said areas.”

“In the interest of India’s fight for a greener future, it is imperative individuals desist from deliberate misinformation and selective quoting of issues. MOEFCC has been making unprecedented attempts to not just increase the country’s green cover but also ensure sustainability for dependent communities,” it said.

The Ministry’s statement came on social media platform X, where hours ago, Mr. Ramesh, who is also Congress’ general secretary in charge of communications, made his post, referring to a letter sent to the Prime Minister’s Office by over 150 forest rights and civil society groups across the country.

Legally untenable data

The civil society groups, in their letter dated June 28, noted that the India State of Forest Report 2023, purportedly misattributed the loss of forest cover to the implementation of the FRA, which was allegedly reiterated by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in a media interview this June as well. They also cited a June 2024 order evicting about 65,000 families from tiger reserves and alleged that the ministry submitted “legally untenable” data to Parliamentary fora and the National Green Tribunal. They further alleged that the 2023 amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, were “bulldozed through Parliament” and that the Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Rules 2023, “adversely impacted both the quantity and quality of forests.”

In a detailed post, rebutting these allegations, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change said, “The statement of the Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change as quoted in the social media has been grossly misrepresented, distorted, represented in a piecemeal manner and is totally out of context.”

The Ministry said that Mr. Yadav’s statement in the media interview was in reference to the “net increase in the forest cover in the country as per the latest State of Forest Report, wherein degradation in some forest areas has also been observed due to a variety of reasons.” “The statement (Minister’s) underlines that such degradation in the forest cover can be addressed by adopting protection measures that are implemented with effective community involvement,” it said.

It added that the statement of the Minister was “about increasing forest cover and halting the degradation of forests through active involvement of the local community” and government bodies, further saying this “context” had been “totally undermined, overlooked, and misrepresented in the tweet.”

Govt.’s poor track record

In Mr. Ramesh’s post, he said the issues raised by the civil society groups are also of “fundamental importance” to ecological security, adding, “The track record of the Modi Government does not inspire the confidence that these issues will even get discussed and debated with those who have been compelled to bring the PM’s attention to them.” 

“The allegations being made that MoEFCC submits legally untenable data on encroachment in different forums are totally incorrect, unfounded, and do not hold any merit,” the ministry said. It went on to say that the point of eviction of families from tiger reserves was “devoid of merit and misrepresentation,” further referring to the exercise as “voluntary relocation,” which is governed by respective laws and procedures.

The Ministry went on to say that the recently published Forest Survey of India report has actually recorded a “substantial increase in forest and tree cover,” which it said was “suggestive” of the involvement of communities. “The inference drawn is contrary to the factual position and totally devoid of merit,” the ministry added.

On allegations of amendments to the Forest Conservation Act and the subsequent Rules, the government said these were made “without an in-depth knowledge and understanding” of the law’s provisions. It insisted that the amendment was brought in “as per laid down Constitutional processes” and with “due Parliamentary procedures.”

The ministry further added that its “sincere efforts” to involve community members in forest management had also been overlooked, citing its work in bringing in Tharu tribals in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (UP) and with Soliga tribals in Karnataka, both of which have “elicited a very good response.” It added that the government is committed to ensure “well-being and active involvement” of tribal communities in forest management by using their “traditional knowledge and wisdom.”

Published – July 04, 2025 12:58 am IST