Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 4: Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department today organised an orientation workshop on online processing of forest clearance cases on PARIVESH portal (Pro Active Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single Window Hub) of Government of India for User Agencies and Forest Officers of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
Commissioner Secretary Department of Forest, Environment & Ecology, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi was the chief guest and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department Dr Mohit Gera presided over the function.
In his address, Dwivedi urged the participating Forest field functionaries and representatives of User Agencies to avail the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the provisions of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and online processing of Forest Clearance cases on PARIVESH portal of Government of India.
He informed the participants that after the reorganization of the State of Jammu & Kashmir into Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, all forest land diversion proposals for non forestry purposes, previously processed under the provisions of the Jammu & Kashmir Forest Conservation Act, 1997, shall henceforth be processed under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
“Forest Conservation Act, 1980 requires prior approval of the Government of India for diversion of Forest land for non forestry purposes” he added.
He asked the User Agencies and field functionaries of forest and allied departments to show due diligence and ensure quick disposal of all the forest clearance cases by taking full advantage of this online system developed by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change. He further advised the participants to pass on the knowledge gained to their colleagues in the department so that they too get to know the online processing of the forest clearance cases.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr. Mohit Gera highlighted the provisions of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and informed that the portal “Pro Active Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single Window Hub” (PARIVESH), in which all proposals related to Forest, Wildlife and Environmental Clearances are processed online at various levels, is the initiative of MoEF&CC to bring transparency and accountability.
Karma Zimpa Bhutia, DIG (Central) from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Regional Office Chandigarh and Technical Team from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, imparted training to the field functionaries of Forest Department and User Agencies about processing of Forest Clearance Cases under the provisions of Forest Conservation Act,1980 and the user friendly application of PARIVESH portal of Government of India in processing of Forest Clearance cases.
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