Ban on commercial exploitation of forests; Nagaland moves Centre

KOHIMA, March 5: Nagaland Forests Minister TR Zeliang has urged the Centre to revive the Supreme Court's order restricting commercial exploitation of forests in the State in view of special status enshrined in the Constitution, reports PTI. The Apex Court has restricted timber business in the Northeastern States since 1996. However, a few mills are being allowed to recommence their activity with the permission from a High Power Committee (HPC), constituted by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, after the Supreme Court relaxed the earlier restrictions in an interim order last year. "The State of Nagaland being generalised with the rest of the Northeastern States by the Supreme Court without considering the special status 371(A), needs to be reviewed," the Minister told Union Home Minister LK Advani during the latter's recent visit to the State. In his letter to Advani, the Forests Minister pointed out that lands and their products in Nagaland belonging to the community or villages and the people have every traditional customary rights over them.