By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
The State government will curtail the powers vested in forest watchers since 1961 to arrest persons involved in forest-related crimes.
The decision was taken by the Assembly Subject Committee on Forest, Environment and Tourism that reviewed the Kerala Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Thursday.
According to Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran, the original provision was enacted 64 years ago during the tenure of the then Chief Minister Pattom A. Thanu Pillai. Since then, forest watchers have been empowered to take direct action against forest law violations including recording arrests.
The decision to revoke the authority has, however, sparked opposition among Forest department officials, who have expressed concern that the move could weaken frontline enforcement in forest protection, the Minister said.
The proposed change was included in the Bill, which includes provisions to update the designations of department officials to reflect changes made over the years.
While the Bill does not explicitly propose changes to the powers of any official, certain Opposition legislators raised concerns regarding the powers of forest watchers and raised concerns about their potential misuse while the Bill was introduced in the House.
