A major decision by the Maharashtra government to withdraw a steep penalty for illegal tree felling has sparked sharp criticism from within the ruling alliance, exposing rifts among senior BJP leaders.
Under the previous decision taken during the tenure of then-Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, the government had imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for illegally cutting down trees. The move aimed to deter deforestation and address growing concerns over climate change. Prior to that, the penalty stood at just Rs 1,000.
However, the current state government, under BJP leadership, has now rolled back the Rs 50,000 fine. The rollback reportedly came at the suggestion of Forest Minister Ganesh Naik and was approved during Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s tenure.
The decision led to a heated exchange in the Assembly during the ongoing monsoon session. Former Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar strongly opposed the rollback and questioned the rationale behind reducing the fine. “Why is the Forest Minister insisting on withdrawing the bill? At a time when global warming is a serious issue and villages are competing to cut trees, this move is highly questionable,” Mungantiwar said.
He further added, “If the fine is increased to Rs1 lakh, I will support it. But if the intention is to reduce it, I will never agree to it.”
Interestingly, despite being in the ruling alliance, Mungantiwar openly criticized the government’s decision, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav supported the rollback.
Defending the move, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik clarified in the House that even cutting a tree branch was being considered equivalent to felling a full tree under the previous law, leading to unintended penalties, especially for farmers. “Even if a farmer unknowingly cuts a tree branch, he was fined Rs 50,000. We are not doing this to benefit anyone in particular. We are temporarily withdrawing the bill and will introduce a revised law with necessary amendments,” Naik assured.
