Sub-Registrar told to withhold registrations of sale deeds in Kalay without Forest Dept clearance
SANGUEM
The apprehensions repeatedly voiced by villagers residing within the precincts of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary regarding possible restrictions on the use and transfer of their private lands appear to be gradually turning into reality. A recent communication issued by the Wildlife-Mollem Division of the Forest Department to the Sub-Registrar, Sanguem, has once again brought these concerns to the forefront and raised serious questions among local residents and landowners.
In a letter dated May 27, 2026, the Range Forest Officer, Wildlife-Mollem, informed the Sub-Registrar that several sale deeds were being executed in respect of lands situated in Kalay village of Sanguem Taluka. The letter further stated that a substantial portion of Kalay village, comprising survey numbers 1 to 22, 24 to 40, 42 to 45, 47, 48, 50 to 53, 55 to 112, 134 part, 135, 136 part, 138 to 150 and 153 to 164, falls within the notified Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary under various government notifications issued between 1967 and 1985.
Citing the need to protect wildlife habitat, the Forest Department requested the Sub-Registrar not to register or approve any sale deeds pertaining to the said survey numbers unless a report or No Objection Certificate (NOC) is first obtained from the Forest Department. The communication has come as a shock to many residents, particularly because a large portion of the village, including traditional habitation areas occupied by local communities for generations, falls within the sanctuary limits.
For years, villagers have complained that the inclusion of their lands within the sanctuary boundaries has resulted in various restrictions affecting their daily lives and developmental aspirations. However, successive governments and political leaders had repeatedly assured residents that their ownership rights over private lands would remain unaffected and that no undue restrictions would be imposed on local inhabitants. The latest communication from the Forest Department is now being viewed by many as a direct contradiction of those assurances.
Local residents fear that the requirement of obtaining an NOC before the registration of sale deeds could create uncertainty over property transactions, reduce the value of private lands and make it increasingly difficult for families to dispose of or transfer ancestral properties. Many believe that the move could pave the way for additional restrictions on the use of privately owned lands situated within sanctuary limits.
The development has also triggered debate among legal observers and property owners regarding the authority of the Forest Department to insist upon an NOC for the registration of private property transactions. Several residents have questioned the legal basis on which the Forest Department can direct the Sub-Registrar not to entertain sale deeds in respect of privately owned lands without prior clearance from the department.
The letter has therefore revived long-standing concerns among villagers that the rights of residents living within the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary are gradually being curtailed. With uncertainty growing, locals are demanding that the government clearly spell out the rights of landowners within sanctuary limits and clarify whether the Forest Department is legally empowered to impose such conditions on the transfer of private properties.
Environmentalists however claim the letter issued by the Forest Department could serve a blessing in disguise as this could take care of large scale selling of lands to outsiders.
