kolkata: West Bengal Forest Department has introduced three brand new online facilities under ‘Ease of Doing Business’ (EODB) intending to hasten up the making of an industry-friendly Bengal. All of these three facilities have been connected with the ‘Silpasathi’ portal.
Online certificate of non-forest land is one of the services that has been introduced. According to the Forest Protection act of 1980 (including the 2022 amendment), there are several complications in turning forest land into industrial land.
Before starting a business or industrial project, one must have the knowledge if the proposed land was forest land before as it can help him from getting into legal trouble.
If the person/persons/institution willing to start any industrial project transparently proposes land that has not been forest land would receive an approval certificate within time due to this online facility.
The clearance certificate and tree-felling permission in non-forest areas for developers have also been made online. Before beginning any industrial project outside of forest land, one must present a tree-felling permit and a clearance certificate from the Forest Department, according to the tree Protection Act, 2006.This online facility would help the willing person/institution to acquire the permit and clearance as soon as possible.
The requisite letter for ‘Distance from Forests’ has also been made available online.
One can establish industrial projects at a specific distance away from forest lands enlisted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 with recent amendments.To escape future legal hazards, the willing person/institution must know the proposed distance for establishing any industrial project from the nearest forest land. The said online facility would help to attain such information.
On January 1, 2023, West Bengal joined as the second state in the list of states availing the National Transit Pass System for timber dealers. This online facility helps dealers acquire transit passes that would enable them to carry and sell timber-made goods anywhere in India.