Guwahati: The Assam government has made Cabinet approval mandatory for any proposed changes to the status or boundaries of the state’s protected forest areas.
The new directive, issued by the state’s Environment, Forest & Climate Change department, tightens the process for declaring, amending, or de-notifying vital ecological zones.
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This includes Reserved Forests, Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Conservation Reserves, and Eco-Sensitive Zones across Assam.
According to an official memorandum, modifications under the Assam Forest Regulation 1891 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, carry far-reaching implications for Assam’s biodiversity.
Consequently, all proposals concerning the declaration, modification, or de-notification of these protected areas must now secure Cabinet approval prior to implementation.
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The directive explicitly prohibits the Environment & Forest Department from taking such actions independently.
The government has circulated this new policy, effective immediately, to key forest officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Chief Wildlife Warden, to ensure full compliance throughout the department.
Following the development, the Environment, Forest & Climate Change Department has also appointed a nodal officer to streamline the implementation of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with potential investors during the recent Advantage Assam 2.0 summit.
The department has designated Rohini Ballave Saikia, DCF (A) in the office of PCCF (Wildlife), as the Nodal Officer to facilitate the grounding of 31 projects for which it signed MoUs with interested investors, ensuring their timely and successful conclusion in Assam.