the goan I network
PANAJI
Speaking to The Goan, Arlekar said that it was important that the demarcation of private forests does not end up harassing the people.
“I want that they hear out the people. From now on, the South Goa private forest committee will meet every alternate Wednesday at Margao and the North Goa Committee will meet every alternate Thursday to hear the grievances of the affected parties,” Arlekar said.
In his interaction with the chairmen of the two committees, Arlekar said that he has received complaints that private lands even as small as 2,000 square metres were being demarcated as private forests when the criteria mandated an area of five hectares or more.
Land which follow the criteria of geographical area five hacters or more if they are not contiguous to government forests, crop composition of 75% or more trees of forest species and canopy density 0.4 or more are identified as private forests by the committees.
As per their mandate, the committees along with the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records and Revenue Officers have been identifying private forests surveyed, plotted them on the map and incorporated them in the plans of the respective survey numbers. Arlekar pointed out to cases in which the committees have identified forests in plots where the conversion sanad has already been granted.
Arlekar has also informed that the private forest policy which is being drawn up by the State is in the final stages of identification and a draft will be published soon.
