SANGUEM: After a considerable time of over twelve years, the first lot of 25 tribal families from Nunem ward of Netravali Panchayat in Sanguem received approvals of their claims filed under the Schedule Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, from the Sub Divisional Level Committee, Sanguem.
The Sub Divisional Level Committee, Sanguem got a boost recently after the appointment of Sanguem Deputy Collector Ajay Gaude as Collector for Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary with the specific purpose to finalise the long pending claims of the locals filed under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Immediately upon taking the additional charge, Gaude streamlined the act of getting the files cleared and called upon the officers concerned attached to the Sub Divisional Level Committees which included panchayat secretaries, block development officer and others to verify the reasons for the inordinate delay caused in clearing the files under the Forest Rights Committee.
After elaborate working and putting all things together, Gaude worked over time in the matter and processed 25 files filed by the forest dwellers residing in Nunem ward of Netravali panchayat. During scrutiny, Gaude reportedly verified that the files were kept pending for such a long time on flimsy ground by the Secretaries and the Block Development Officers.
Gaude at a meeting held at Nunem early last week cleared as many as 25 files in the presence of the Sanguem BDO Bhagwant Karmali, Joint Mamlatdar Ana Rita Pereira, Range Forest Officers Bipin Faldessai and Mohandas Naik, Secretary Gurudas Gaonkar and other Forest Right Committee members.
The files will now be sent to the District Level Committee headed by Collector and State Level Committee headed by Chief Secretary for final approval and issuance of sanad.
The 25 beneficiaries who got their files cleared were Laxawati Gaonkar, Kishore K Gaonkar, Suresh B Gaonkar, Suresh B gaonkar, Sukdo M Gaonkar, Deepak Gaonkar, Arvind P Gaonkar, Dinesh R Gaonkar, Damu B Gaonkar, Shanu J Gaonkar, Prabhakar B Gaonkar, Balu R Gaonkar, Jayanthi J Gaonkar, Sandeep Gaonkar, Sulakshawati Gaonkar, Bharati B Gaonkar, Ranjeeta R Gaonkar, Shantaram S Gaonkar, Rohidas S Gaonkar, Gun P Gaonkar, Dhawlo D Gaonkar, Anand B Gaonkar, Chandrakant P Gaonkar, Sangtu G Gaonkar, Subhash Gaonkar and Vithal B Gaonkar.
Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar appreciated the hard work put in by Deputy Collector Gaude in getting the files cleared which have been pending for such a long time.
The beneficiaries whose files stand cleared will now heave a sigh of relief as they have finally got some basis in continuing with the possession of the land which they have been cultivating for years.
