Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD leader and Dhenkanal MP Tathagata Satpathy Friday opposed an amendment to the Indian Forest Act through an ordinance, saying he apprehended a scam behind omission of bamboos grown in non-forest areas from the definition of trees.
“Fed Govt asserts Bamboo not a tree! Fine. Passes Ordinance & Prez signs it. Not Fine! Bypassing Parliament thru Ordinance. Not Fine. Who benefits? Growers? Doubt it. CanNOT but be a huge scam,” (sic) Satpathy twitted.
In another tweet, the BJD chief whip in Lok Sabha said “Stinks because everything may be fine why an Ordinance? Why not a normal Bill thru Parliament? What was the hurry? Which Electoral Bond donor is being catered to? Nation must know (sic).” 
Speaking to a local TV channel, Satpathy said, omitting bamboo from a list of plants is an important decision that can be discussed in Parliament. However, the ordinance route deprived people of knowing the pros and cons of the move as bamboo grows abundantly in areas outside forests.
State forest and environment minister Bijayshree Routray refused to comment on the issue when he was asked for his reaction, saying he is under treatment at a hospital. The President has approved the Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance 2017 to exempt bamboos grown on non-forest areas as trees. With this change in the Forest Rights Act, there will no longer be a need to seek forest clearance to cut down bamboos that grow in non-forest areas.
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