Team Herald
PANJIM: The State government has decided to outsource field surveyors in a bid to settle claims of tribal communities under the Forest Rights Act.
Tribal Affairs Minister Govind Gaude said, “The government has decided to outsource surveyors even as Forest Rights Committees are currently doing the work. Forest Rights Committees were constituted under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.”
He said that the Secretary (Revenue) has been asked to select the agency within a month so that the claims can be fast-tracked and sanads are granted to the eligible tribals for ownership of their cultivated land under the Forest Rights Act. Gaude mentioned that during the last 15 years, the government could give only 46 sanads while, as many as 10,146 cases were pending across the State, particularly in Sattari and Sanguem talukas.
The Minister further informed that by March end, the government will file an affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking further extension of two years to settle all the claims. The current extension granted by the Apex Court ends in June this year, he said adding many others States have sought such extensions from the court.
Gaude said during the last meeting, both the district collectors were asked to monitor the process and to ensure that minimum 20 cases each are settled every month under the Forest Rights Act. They were also asked to submit monthly reports to the government.
He said that after completing the survey, another demarcation of land was required to grant sanads.
