A group of sixty former bureaucrats wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India claiming that the conflict of interest in the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court can affect the results of cases challenging the Forest Protection Act, 2023.
In his open letter written on June 30, including former secretaries, ambassadors, police chiefs and forest officials said that the four -member CEC currently consists of three former Indian Forest Service officials and a retired scientist who has also worked with the Ministry of Environment for many years. He said that there are no independent experts in the committee.
The letter states that two members of the CEC have recently retired from the post of Director General of Forests and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Environment. The letter said, ‘The CEC with officers with officers who have held high positions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and who have been closely involved in policy-making can hardly be expected to give independent advice to the Supreme Court, the advice that he was given in by the advice that he had given in the government."Text-Align: justify;"> He said that the earlier CEC included not only government experts, but also two independent members, one of whom was a wildlife expert and a Supreme Court lawyer. Both of them neither served in high government positions nor were involved in forest policy decisions, thus fairness was ensured and the conflict of interest was stopped. ‘
A group of some people in 2023 in the Forest Protection Amendment Act (F CAA ) was challenged in the Supreme and said that this will reduce the number of forests rapidly. The court has issued four orders in this case, one of which maintains the definition of forests as per the order Godavarman order, 1996. The final hearing of the case is pending.
People writing letters have expressed apprehension that the results of cases against FCAA, 2023 may be compromised in view of the conflict of CEC interests, as the Supreme Court may depend on the advice of the CEC before giving its final decision.
The letter states that given the structure of the current CEC, it will be bent in favor of the Act and thus showing a clear conflict of interests. He requested the Chief Justice not to allow the current CEC to advise the court in other important cases related to FCAA, 2023 cases or forests, wildlife and ecological security.
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