CM Vijayan assured forest amendment bill will not have anti-farmer provisions, says KC(M)

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 23 (PTI) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured that provisions deemed anti-farmer will not be included in the proposed Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani on Monday said. Speaking to the media after meeting the Chief Minister to voice his party’s concerns over key provisions in the Bill, Jose K Mani stated that the CM promised to thoroughly examine the issue and ensure that no legislation detrimental to settler farmers would be enacted.

“We highlighted the intricacies and implications of the Bill, particularly Section 63, which grants Forest Officers the power to arrest without a warrant. This is completely anti-farmer,” Jose K Mani said.

He pointed out that while the police system allows only sub-inspectors or higher-ranked officers to carry out arrests, the proposed amendment would empower lower-ranked forest officials, such as forest wardens and beat forest officers, to do so.

“This could lead to misuse of power and we have conveyed to the CM that such provisions are unacceptable,” he added.

The KC(M) leader also expressed concerns over the Bill’s extension to areas other than reserved forests.

“For instance, in places like Mankulam, which are not designated as reserved forests and are home to thousands of farmers, implementing these provisions would adversely affect the farming community,” he said.

Jose K Mani, who is also a Rajya Sabha member from Kerala, said the Chief Minister assured his party that the concerns would be taken seriously and the interests of farmers would be protected.

Leaders of Kerala Congress (M), a key Left ally in the state, met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday to express their dissent against certain key provisions in the Forest (Amendment) Bill 2024. KC(M) chairman Jose K Mani MP, along with party legislators, held talks with the chief minister seeking a review of certain provisions in the bill that are said to be against the settler farmers and people residing on the forest fringes.

However, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, the party representative in the Vijayan-led cabinet, was in Idukki in connection with official assignments, Jose K Mani said.

The Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to revise the Kerala Forest Act, 1961, has drawn sharp criticism from settler farmers, a traditional support base of the KC(M).

The KC(M) sources said that the party leadership believes enacting the Bill in its current form could significantly erode its support base in central Kerala.

The draft of the proposed amendment reportedly includes provisions granting forest officials unchecked powers to arrest farmers, further fueling concerns among the affected communities.

The meeting comes at a critical juncture for the KC(M), as the party grapples with growing internal dissent and unease among cadres over its alliance with the ruling LDF, according to sources.

Forest Minister A K Saseendran on Monday said that some are creating controversy on the Bill without examining the facts.

He added that KC(M) Minister Roshy Augustine has not expressed his dissent when the matter of amending the Forest Act came up before the cabinet.

However, responding to this, Jose K Mani said that Minister may be misled about the provisions by some officials.

We are a party aligned with LDF, and it was due to the stand of our minister, Roshy Augustine, that this issue is being discussed," he said, adding that KC(M) had expressed its dissent first.

"As an existing law is going to be amended, there would be chances for flaws, and pointing it out should be our responsibility as a political outfit," Mani added.

Thamarassery Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil has also criticised the forest minister, stating that he appears unaware of the implications of the proposed amendments to the act.

Describing the law as reminiscent of the Emergency era, the bishop on Monday warned of strong protests against it.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notification and expressed confidence that the proposed amendment would not be passed in the Assembly. PTI ARM ARM