The government is to amend the Indian Forest Act, 1927 to curtail the powers given to forest department to foist criminal cases against tribal. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said that one of the biggest complaints against the forest department officials is that they foist criminal cases against the tribal communities who go into forests daily to pick up their daily requirements. The minister said 250 million people in India depend on forests in India and their interests have to be protected. He was speaking while formally receiving the Forest Rights Act Review Committee report. The report was prepared by a panel headed by NAC member N C Saxena. Responding to the queries of the reporters on Monday evening after receiving the report he said that nuclear energy is necessary to curb the greenhouse gases emitted by India. Referring to concerns over nuclear waste management, Mr.Ramesh said it would be wrong to claim that India faced the problem of nuclear waste management today. The Union Minister agreed that the issues being raised, particularly in relation to waste management, need to be addressed in a much more credible fashion.