New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has clarified that the railways does not need to seek permission to develop infrastructure on its land in forest areas, after its contradictory orders on the issue created confusion in many states.
Quoting an order dated March 10 last year, the ministry has stated that the Forest (Conservation) Act will not be applicable on railway owned land for execution or maintaining of railway works. This paves the way for the national transporter to execute infrastructure projects even in sensitive forest areas without seeking permission from the centre.
"It has been brought to the notice of the ministry that in some states/UTs there is ambiguity regarding interpretation of the term RoW, stated in the guidelines dated March 10. Several states have asked the railway to explain the term RoW," said the ministry.
"The matter was examined in the ministry, and it is clarified that RoW stated in the guidelines may be understood as the area falling within the limits of railway owned land for execution or maintaining of railway works," the ministry has said in a letter to the additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries of forests of all states and Union territories on February 22.
The ministry in its letter dated February 22 clarified to the states that the order issued in March last year has given the railways the right to develop projects in forest land and they need not obtain permission from the central government under Section 2 of the FCA. It gave the railways the right to develop such land.
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