Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, May 15: The state government has constituted Special Investigation Teams (SITs) at the taluka level to identify reserved forest land currently under the Revenue Department and investigate whether any such land was allotted to private individuals or institutions for non-forestry purposes.
The move follows directions issued by the Supreme Court of India asking all States and Union Territories to examine cases where reserved forest land may have been diverted for non-forest use and to initiate corrective measures within one year.
According to a notification issued by the Revenue Department, each SIT will be headed by the Deputy Collector of the respective taluka. The teams will also include the Assistant Conservator of Forests, a representative from the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR), the concerned Talathi and any additional members nominated by the team leader if required.
The department stated that a preliminary exercise conducted jointly by district Collectors and the Forest Department had already identified several cases requiring further investigation.
The SITs have been tasked with examining whether reserved forest land under the control of the Revenue Department was allotted to private individuals or institutions for purposes other than forestry activities.
The teams will also prepare a detailed inventory of such land, including its extent, location and present status.
“The SITs will recommend and initiate action to reclaim such land and transfer it to the Forest Department. In cases where taking back possession is not feasible in larger public interest, the teams will assess and recommend recovery of the land cost from the concerned individuals or institutions. The amount recovered will be used for forest development,” the notification stated.
The teams have also been directed to identify reserved forest land that continues to be recorded in Revenue Department records and submit detailed reports to the government through the respective district Collectors.
Officials said the exercise would be jointly monitored by District Collectors and Deputy Conservators of Forests (DCF).
The state government’s action comes in compliance with a Supreme Court order issued last year directing all States and Union Territories to form SITs to investigate whether reserved forest land held by Revenue Departments had been diverted for non-forestry purposes.
The apex court had further directed governments either to reclaim such land and transfer it to the Forest Department or, where repossession was not possible in larger public interest, recover the land cost and utilise the funds for forest development.