Govt handing over management of "Other State Forests (OSF)" to Divisional/Districts Secretaries would be disastrous for forest cover and biodiversity in the country while paving the way for private parties and friends of politicians to grab land.
Kshama Ranawana Environmentalists, Conservationists and the political opposition are strenuously objecting to the decision by the government to hand over the management of “Other State Forests (OSF)” to Divisional/Districts Secretaries alleging the move would be disastrous for the forest cover and biodiversity in the country. It was in July this year that the Cabinet first mooted the idea of handing the management of these lands earlier referred to as “State Residual Forests” by abolishing circular 05/2001 which had transferred the management of these lands from the Divisional/Distri...
Source: dbsjeyaraj.com