Coconut Trees In Goa

A month after the Goa government de-recognised the coconut palm as a tree, the battle over the official nomenclature of the tropical tree, often synonymous with Goa's picturesque landscapes, will now be fought in court.

Goa Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar today informed the Legislative Assembly that government has not 'declassified' coconut tree but only allowed those in ruinous state to be felled.

A legislative change in Goa that takes away the tree status of the coconut has been brought about to favour a liquor distillery, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said on Friday.

A Parliamentary panel on Saturday termed as "wrong" the Goa government's decision to classify coconut as 'palm' instead of 'tree' and sought Centre's intervention in the matter even as it observed that the amendment to this effect won't stand legal scrutiny.

With the opposition and environmentalists opposing the Goa government's removal of protection given to the coconut tree under the law, Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar has defended the change in laws as a pro-farmer and pro-people move.

Amid several protests, the government has tabled an amendment to Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act in the state Assembly session, which will classify coconut as a palm and not a tree.

Goa government today defended its decision to delete coconut tree from the purview of 'tree' and classify it as 'palm' under Goa Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, saying classifying it as tree in the past was an error.

Nearly 100,000 coconut palms in the coastal state of Goa are now set to be insured in an unprecedented exercise, complete with a physical examination of their girth.

A month after the Goa government de-recognised the coconut palm as a tree, the battle over the official nomenclature of the tropical tree, often synonymous with Goa's picturesque landscapes, will now be fought in court.

Goa Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar today informed the Legislative Assembly that government has not 'declassified' coconut tree but only allowed those in ruinous state to be felled.

A legislative change in Goa that takes away the tree status of the coconut has been brought about to favour a liquor distillery, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said on Friday.

A Parliamentary panel on Saturday termed as "wrong" the Goa government's decision to classify coconut as 'palm' instead of 'tree' and sought Centre's intervention in the matter even as it observed that the amendment to this effect won't stand legal scrutiny.

With the opposition and environmentalists opposing the Goa government's removal of protection given to the coconut tree under the law, Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar has defended the change in laws as a pro-farmer and pro-people move.

Amid several protests, the government has tabled an amendment to Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act in the state Assembly session, which will classify coconut as a palm and not a tree.

Goa government today defended its decision to delete coconut tree from the purview of 'tree' and classify it as 'palm' under Goa Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, saying classifying it as tree in the past was an error.

Nearly 100,000 coconut palms in the coastal state of Goa are now set to be insured in an unprecedented exercise, complete with a physical examination of their girth.