Bill for compensatory afforestation and wildlife protection passed by Parliament
Q. A much awaited Bill for compensatory afforestation and wildlife protection was passed by the Parliament - the legislation has been set up to establish which body at the centre?- Published on 01 Aug 16a. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
b. National Compensatory Afforestation Fund
c. National Compensatory Afforestation Council
d. National Compensatory Afforestation Corporation
ANSWER: National Compensatory Afforestation Fund
The Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill during the budget session in May.
- Rajya Sabha has passed the bill after government assured the Upper House it would create enough provisions in rules to safeguards the interests of forest dwellers and tribals.
- Once the bill has received assent from the President, the aim will be to create an institutional mechanism for using estimated INR 6000 crore per year that would be collected for diversion of forest land for non forest use in the future.
- Currently, an ad hoc body Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority is a custodian of accumulated INR 42,000 crore.
- Legislation aims to set up the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund at the centre and the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund in respective states.
- Massive percentage of the collected fund will be spent in states for afforestation and other related works including forest regeneration and wildlife protection.
- It has also aimed to set up national authority at centre and state level authority in respective states to monitor fund utilisation.
- CAF Bill was introduced in LS; RS took up the Bill for consideration on 27th July.
