Consider the following statements:
1. As per recent amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927, forest dwellers have the right to fell the bamboos grown on forest areas.
2. As per the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, bamboo is a minor forest produce.
3. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 allows ownership of minor forest produce to forest dwellers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Indian Forest (Amendment) Act, 2017 amended Section 2(7) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 to exclude bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the definition of a ‘tree’. Bamboo growing in defined forest areas continues to be classified as a tree and remains subject to forest felling restrictions.
Statement 2 is correct: Under Section 2(i) of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, bamboo is explicitly defined and categorized as a minor forest produce (MFP).
Statement 3 is correct: Section 3(1)(c) of the FRA, 2006 vests the right of ownership, access to collect, use, and dispose of minor forest produce with forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers.
Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct — Option B.