Report No. 171

14. Biodiversity Management Committees in Municipalities and Panchayats.-

(1) The State Governments and Union territory Administrations shall constituteBiodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in every Municipality and Panchayat within sixty days of coming into force of this Act, for the purpose of promoting the conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity including preservation of habitats,conservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, conservation of domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, and conservation of micro-organisms as well as chroniclingof biodiversity resources and knowledge/uses relating thereto.

(2) The Biodiversity Management Committees shall be consulted by the National Authority and State and Union territory Administration Biodiversity Boards before taking decisions relating to use of biological resources and associated knowledge within their jurisdiction.

(3) The Biodivedrsity Management Committees shall perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by the National authority or the State Biodiversity Board as the case may be, by regulations made in that behalf.