State Government Committed to Environmental Protection Under Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma

Jaipur: Under the leadership of Bhajanlal Sharma, the state government is firmly committed to protecting the Khejri tree in accordance with the cultural values and environmental sentiments of the people of the state. To ensure the conservation and protection of Khejri and other important tree species, the state government has decided to introduce a special law. For this purpose, a high-level committee has been formed to prepare the draft of a Tree Protection Bill.

The first meeting of the committee was held on Monday morning at the residence of Jogaram Patel, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, who chaired the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Hemant Meena, Minister for Revenue and Colonisation, Sanjay Sharma, Minister for Forests, along with the Principal Secretary of the Law Department, the Secretary of the Revenue Department, and legal experts.

During the meeting, the committee discussed the possibility of introducing a strong and effective law for tree protection without the need for lengthy legal proceedings. A comparative study of tree protection laws implemented in other states was also carried out. Before finalizing the draft bill, suggestions from relevant departments, legal experts, and stakeholders are being considered. The next meeting of the committee will be held on March 11.

It is noteworthy that at present, the existing tenancy laws provide permission only for the cutting of trees on agricultural land and include provisions for penalties in cases of illegal tree felling. However, the proposed new law will introduce strict provisions for the protection of trees on all types of land, including allotted, converted, acquired, and residential lands—essentially all non-agricultural land.

Under the proposed legislation, trees on non-agricultural land can only be removed after obtaining permission from an authorized officer, and only the minimum number of trees necessary will be allowed to be cut.