Team Goemkarponn
MARGAO: In a major step under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus has approved 81 forest rights claims out of 104 applications that recently came up for review. The remaining 23 claims, mostly from villages in Quepem taluka—including Padi, Quiscond, Cordem and Quepem—were rejected due to insufficient documentation.
Cleetus, who chaired a meeting of the Forest Rights Committee (FRC) at the South Goa Collectorate on Thursday, clarified that the rejections were based solely on non-fulfillment of legal documentation requirements under the FRA, 2006. She stressed that the review process was conducted carefully and in accordance with prescribed procedures.
Since the FRA was rolled out in 2014, South Goa has received around 10,000 applications. Of these, 6,906 are still pending verification, while 1,319 have already been dismissed. The latest approvals are being viewed as an important push in a process that has long suffered delays.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently directed district collectors to expedite the disposal of pending claims, assuring that the government intends to complete maximum verifications this year and clear the entire backlog by March 2026. He admitted that delays have often stemmed from family disputes and lack of cooperation from applicants, but expressed confidence that improved coordination and administrative efficiency would help achieve the target.
The approval of 81 claims marks a positive step toward securing the land rights of traditional forest dwellers and dependent communities. With a renewed focus on fast-tracking the process, authorities are expected to take up a larger number of claims in the coming months, offering long-awaited recognition and land security to many households.
