Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The Goa Forest Department has confirmed that several lands previously identified as private forests are being reviewed and, in some cases, excluded from the list based on specific criteria laid down by expert panels.
In a written reply to Unstarred LAQ No. 124 raised by MLA Viresh Borkar, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane stated that the Review Committee-II, constituted for reassessment of private forest lands identified by the Thomas & Araujo Committee, has been actively scrutinizing survey numbers across Goa. Lands not meeting the three prescribed criteria are being removed from the official list of private forests.
One such plot—Survey No. 69/1 in Assagao village, Bardez—was earlier provisionally listed as private forest by the State Expert Committee led by V.T. Thomas. However, following a re-evaluation by the Review Committee under the Chief Conservator of Forests, it was concluded that the plot does not qualify as a private forest.
In response to questions about whether the declassified Assagao land has since been sold, the Forest Department confirmed a transaction took place and stated that full details have been provided in Annexure A. While no complaints have been received regarding this land, the department clarified that there are no legal restrictions on the sale of private forest land, as ownership change does not alter its legal forest status.
The Minister also assured that areas finally notified as private forests remain protected under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Before granting any land conversion permission (conversion sanad), the Revenue Authority must seek a legal status report from the Forest Department to ensure forest lands are not misused or diverted for non-forest purposes.
