Lok Sabha Question No. 3890 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-22
Subject: Forest Land for Pilgrimage Centres
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO .

TO BE ANSWERED ON

## 3890 22.12.2015

## Forest Land for Pilgrimage Centres

## 3890. SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  policy/guidelines  for  allotment  of  forest  land  for developing  pilgrimage  centres  and  providing  facilities  to  the  pilgrims  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  received  proposals  from  various  States  for  allotment  of forest  land  for  developing  pilgrimage  centres  and  creation  of  amenities  to  pilgrims including "Mohata Devsthan" in Maharashtra; and
- (c) if so, the details and the present status of these proposals, State-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) Use  of  forest  land  for  non-forest  purpose,  including  developing  pilgrimage centres  and  providing  facilities  to  the  pilgrims,  requires  prior  approval  of Central  Government under  Section-2  of  the  Forest  (Conservation)  Act,  1980 (FC  Act).  Proposals  seeking  prior  approval  of  Central  Government  under Section 2 the FC Act for use of forest land for developing pilgrimage centres and providing facilities  to  the  pilgrims  are  processed  in  accordance  with  the provisions of the FC Act and Rules and Guidelines framed thereunder. There is no separate policy/guideline for processing of such proposals.
- (b) &(c) During  the  last  three  years  the  Central  Government  received  26  proposals seeking prior approval under Section-2 of the FC Act for use of forest land for developing pilgrimage centres and providing facilities  to  the  pilgrims.  Statewise details along with present status of these proposals are annexed.

As far as developing pilgrimage centre and creation of amenities to pilgrims at "Mohata  Devsthan"  in  Maharashtra  is  concerned,  the  Central  Government received a proposal seeking prior approval under Section-2 of the FC Act for diversion  of  4.96  hectares  of  Reserve  Forest  land  in  favour  of  the  Chief Executive Officer, Shri Jagdamba Devi Public Trust, Mohate, Taluka Pathardi, District  Ahmadnagar  for  renovation  of  Shri  Jagadambadevi  Temple.  The Central  Government  vide  letter  dated  27.06.2006  accorded  formal  approval under  Section-2  of  the  FC  Act  for  diversion  of  1.25  hecatres  of  forest  land.

Prior approval under Section-2 of the FC Act for diversion of the balance 3.71 hecatres  of  forest  land  was  not  accorded.  Subsequently,  on  02.05.2008 Government of  Maharashtra  again  submitted  a  proposal  for  diversion  of  the said  3.71  hectares  of  Reserve  Forest  land.  Regional  Office  (Western  Zone), Bhopal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change vide letter dated 04.06.2008 rejected the said proposal.

ANNEXURE

THE STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) AND (c) OF THE LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3890  BY  SHRI  DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI REGARDING 'FOREST LAND FOR PILGRIMAGE CENTRES' DUE FOR REPLY ON 22.12.2015

Details of proposals seeking prior approval under Section-2 of the FC Act for use of  forest  land  for  developing  pilgrimage  centres  and  providing  facilities  to  the pilgrims  received  by  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change during last three years

|   Sl. No | State            | Name of Proposals                                                                                                                                                                                            |   Forest land involved (Ha.) | Current Status                                                                            |
|----------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh   | Diversion of forest land in favour of Sri Emandi Ramachandra Rao in Pothukonda RF of Visakhapatnam Division for development of Sree Bhuvaneshwari Devi Aaradhanapeetam                                       |                       1.48   | Rejected on 28.10.2013                                                                    |
|        2 | Bihar            | Diversion of 0.888 ha forest land for installation of Passenger Ropeway at Mandar Hills in Banka District of Bihar                                                                                           |                       0.888  | Stage-I approval issued on 28.05.2015                                                     |
|        3 | Bihar            | Diversion of 1.2348 ha of forest land for construction of Aerial Ropeway System adjacent to the existing ropeway at Rajgir in Nalanda District of Bihar.                                                     |                       1.2348 | Stage I approval issued on 01.01.2014                                                     |
|        4 | Haryana          | Diversion of 0.0047 ha of forest land to Cinemaatograph Auditorium along Sirsa-Ludesar- Bhadra Road km. 7.05., L/s, at Village Begu ( Dera Sacha Sauda ), under Forest Division and District Sirsa, Haryana. |                       0.0047 | Information sought by Regional Office, Chandigarh vide letter dated 29.05.2015 is awaited |
|        5 | Himachal Pradesh | Construction of Ratnari-Kainchi to Kot Kali Mandir - Arihala H.B.                                                                                                                                            |                       0.5797 | Approved on 11.06.2013                                                                    |

| Sl. No   | State            | Name of Proposals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Forest land involved (Ha.)   | Current Status                                                                        |
|----------|------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |                  | Kufri via Punjali road.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                              |                                                                                       |
| 6.       | Himachal Pradesh | Widening of Shakoli Koti Hanuman Mandir Road, Shimla                                                                                                                                                                                                    | 0.9851                       | Approved on 12.10.2015                                                                |
| 7.       | Himachal Pradesh | Diversion of 0.9873 hecatres of forest land in favour of I & PH Department for providing LIS to Tanbol, Zagatkhana in Tehsil Shri Naina Devi Ji, District Solan.                                                                                        | 0.9873                       | Stage-I approval issued on 11.03.2015                                                 |
| 8.       | Karnataka        | Diversion of 0.40 ha of forest land in favour the President, Anjuman-E-Islam, Iqbal Education Society, Haliyal in B1 No. 141, Haliyal village, Haliyal Range for the purpose of using as prayer ground and religious activities of the Muslim Community | 0.400                        | Information sought by Regional Office, Bangalore is awaited from the State Government |
| 9.       | Kerala           | Diversion of 0.0352 ha of forest land in favour of KSEB, Nilambur North Division, Malappuram District for drawing Electric line to Ramallur Mahasiva Temple                                                                                             | 0.0352                       | Stage-I approval issued on 09.10.2014.                                                |
| 10.      | Madhya Pradesh   | Diversion of 4.00 hecatres of forest land in favour of Executive Engineer, Gramin Yantrik Seva Badvani for revival of Bhilatdev Mandir Nagalwadi                                                                                                        | 4.00                         | Stage-I approval issued on 23.07.2014                                                 |
| 11.      | Madhya Pradesh   | Diversion of 1.734 hectars of forest land in favour of Shri Devi Ji Mandir Samiti Trust, Salkanpur for construction of Shri Devi Ji Temple                                                                                                              | 1.734                        | Stage-I approval issued on 12.01.2015                                                 |
| 12.      | Maharashtra      | Diversion of 4.90 hecatres of forest land for execution of various works at Shri Kshetra                                                                                                                                                                | 4.90                         | Under process for Stage-I approval                                                    |

| Sl. No   | State         | Name of Proposals                                                                                                                                                                    | Forest land involved (Ha.)   | Current Status                                                          |
|----------|---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |               | Mahurhaf Tirthkshetra Vikas Yojana                                                                                                                                                   |                              |                                                                         |
| 13.      | Punjab        | Diversion of 0.00634 ha. of forest land for approach road to Satsang Ghar Dera Beas on Ferozepur-Fazilka, under Forest Division Ferozepur.                                           | 0.0063                       | Proposal closed due to non- receipt of information from the State Govt. |
| 14.      | Punjab        | Diversion of 0.0221 ha. of forest land for Approach road to Satsang Ghar Dera Biyas on Malut-Fazilka at Arniwala Km. 30-31 R/s, Tehsil & Forest Division Ferozepur & Distt. Fazilka, | 0.0221                       | Proposal closed due to non- receipt of information from the State Govt. |
| 15.      | Punjab        | Diversion of 0.0103 ha. of forest land for approach road to Satsang Ghar Dera Biyas on Abohar-Fazilka km 3-4, L/s, under Forest Division Ferozepur &Distt Fazilka                    | 0.0103                       | Proposal closed due to non- receipt of information from the State Govt. |
| 16.      | Sikkim        | Construction of Durga Shiv Rama Mandir in South District of Sikkim by Temi Durga Shiv Mandir Committee                                                                               | 0.254                        | Approved on 18.06.2014                                                  |
| 17.      | Tamil Nadu    | Temple by Swayambhu Arulmigu Adi Parasakti Vazipattu Mandiram- extension proposal                                                                                                    | 0.60                         | Information sought from the State Govt. awaited.                        |
| 18.      | Uttar Pradesh | Diversion of 3.90 ha of forest land for widening and lighting of Kachchi Parikarma road in Goverdhan under the betterment of road for tourism development in Mathura                 | 3.90                         | Approved on 08.10.2013                                                  |
| 19.      | Uttarakhand   | Construction of Kasialekh Dhari Motor road Km-6 Bhumiamandir to Bunrasi Motor                                                                                                        | 0.1575                       | Approved on 08.10.2015                                                  |

| Sl. No   | State       | Name of Proposals                                                                | Forest land involved (Ha.)   | Current Status                                                                                             |
|----------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          |             | road                                                                             |                              |                                                                                                            |
| 20.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Temple to Jagdambe (Pit Tit Devi) and Dharamshala                | 0.40                         | Approved on 23.07.2013                                                                                     |
| 21.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Kamedi Devi- Bhantola-Saikot Motor Road                          | 1.05                         | Closed due to non receipt of requisite information from State Government.                                  |
| 22.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Two Lane Tunnel on Daat ki Devi Mandir NH 72A Kilometer 33 to 34 | 0.52                         | Approved on 04.02.2015                                                                                     |
| 23.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Koteshwar Mandir to Thakla of Divnai Kohina Motor road.          | 0.54                         | Essential details sought by Regional Office, Dehradun on 13.02.2013 are awaited from the State Government. |
| 24.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Suri Devi Mandir to Rampur Motor road                            | 0.675                        | Approved on 25.03.2015                                                                                     |
| 25.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib Ropeway                               | 2.305                        | Stage-I approval issued on 09.03.2015                                                                      |
| 26.      | Uttarakhand | Construction of Surkanda Devi Ropeway project                                    | 0.68                         | Approved on 24.07.2015                                                                                     |