Maharashtra Cabinet today proposed changes in the Forest Act to enable stringent action against organised crime and conserve the flora and fauna.
The Cabinet suggested raising the fine in cases of forest crime to Rs 25,000 from the present provision of up to Rs 2,000.
"Organised criminals take help of locals to commit the crime and get away. The Cabinet meeting today proposed necessary changes in the Indian Forest Act, 1927 to punish them," an official release said.
"The Act is 85-year-old and with the passage of time, it has become necessary to make changes in it," the release said. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan chaired the meeting.
"An important change proposed is to confiscate the property used in the crime. The provision now is of 'forfeiture' instead of 'confiscation'," it said.
The Cabinet also decided to transfer 26 hectare non-forest land near Nagpur's Gorewada zoo to the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra.
The meeting also approved the power distribution infrastructure plan for places in the state. These include Nashik, Ojhar, Sinnar, Pune, Kolhapur, Panvel and Navi Mumbai.
The Cabinet approved a proposal to grant relief in cases of natural calamity, on the lines of the norms revised by the Central government.
