Team Goemkarpomm
PANAJI: Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said the Goa government will complete a detailed factual report on private forest areas by May 30, following which it will be placed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Speaking to reporters, Rane stated that the exercise is intended to ensure an accurate and fair evaluation of private lands. He acknowledged that several landowners were affected due to discrepancies in earlier demarcation exercises and stressed that the current process is being carried out with full transparency to rule out any manipulation.
As per the State’s guidelines, land can be classified as private forest if it is contiguous with government forest areas. In cases where such land is isolated, a minimum area of five hectares is required to qualify. In 2024, the government issued two notifications identifying 45.5 sq km and 46.1 sq km of land respectively as private forest, in line with NGT directions.
A Review Committee led by the Chief Conservator of Forests is presently re-examining areas previously identified by the Thomas and Araujo Committees. Rane clarified that the upcoming report will not introduce any new survey numbers. Instead, it will reassess already listed areas to determine whether they should continue to be classified as private forest or be excluded.
He emphasised that only lands meeting the prescribed criteria will be retained and underlined that the responsibility for the exercise lies entirely with forest department officials. “There is no ministerial interference in this process; accountability rests with the officers concerned,” Rane said.
Data compiled from various committee reports shows that 4.70 sq km was recommended in the first report. Subsequent reports proposed 2.25 sq km and 7.69 sq km in the second and third reports, 14.31 sq km in the fourth, 3.92 sq km in the fifth, and 11.6 sq km in the sixth. The seventh report suggested over 20 sq km, while the eighth and ninth reports together recommended 10.84 sq km. The tenth report has proposed an additional 8.93 sq km to be notified as private forest in the State.
