Team Goemkarponn
VALPOI: The long-pending process of approving forest rights in Sattari taluka has finally gained momentum, with 29 claims from the villages of Koparde, Malpan and Satre approved at the district level. The decision was taken in a special meeting chaired by North Goa District Collector Ankit Yadav.
Out of a total of 43 claims discussed, 29 were approved, 3 were sent back to the Sub-Divisional Committee for further review, while 11 were rejected as duplicates. The approvals mark an important step in addressing the forest rights issues that have remained unresolved for years.
Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the Panchayat Sub-Divisional Officer first examines claims and forwards them to the District Level Committee for a final decision. Many of these claims in Sattari were linked to the 1999 notification of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, which had included settlements, cultivated land and temples within its limits. Villagers from several panchayats subsequently filed claims for exclusions, but hundreds of proposals remained pending for years.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had recently assured in the Legislative Assembly that all pending forest rights claims across the state would be settled by the end of 2025. The latest approvals in Sattari are being seen as a step towards fulfilling that assurance and easing the difficulties faced by residents in the sanctuary areas.
