Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has amended the rules to give more time to officials before those applying to establish industries can chop trees. Under the new rules, an application for felling trees should be disposed of within 12 working days. If officials fail to do so, permission will be deemed to have been granted and the applicant can cut down the trees.
The permission to cut trees is part of the reforms prescribed by the Centre in its Ease of Doing Business effort. States are being ranked based on their performance in implementing EoDB reforms since last year and the ranking is crucial for states to attract international investment.
Principal secretary, environment and forests, B.R. Meena, issued orders to this effect on Monday. The orders stated, 'If the divisional forest officer/designated officer fails to accord tree-felling permission within 12 days of receipt of application form, the permission shall be deemed to have been granted under the Water Air Land and Trees Act 2002.'
After the Union ministry of commerce and industries' informed the state government about the 344-point Reform Action Plan for the EoDB, in November 2015, the state government issued orders in May 2016 for tree-felling permission to be given for new industries within three working days. The principal chief conservator of forests requested the period be extended to 12 days in conformity with the requirements by panchayat raj and rural development ministries.
