Goa: New panel to review previous findings on pvt forest land

The Goa government has set up a three-member committee to review the findings of high-level panels formed earlier to identify private forest lands in the coastal state.

The move comes after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) earlier this month imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 per day from July 2019 on the state government, till it submits the report on the private forest land.

Following this, the government, in a notification issued on Saturday, said a three-member panel will have to review the findings of the Karapurkar and Sawant committees (set up earlier) and submit its report within three months on the exact quantum of private forest land existing in Goa.

This is the second review committee formed by the state government.

In April last year, the government constituted a similar committee which reviewed reports of the Karapurkar and Sawant committees, identifying 42.12 sqkm of land in Goa as private forest.

However, the BJP-led state government last month rejected that review panel's report, claiming the "aggrieved people were not heard by the review committee".

In the notification issued last week, state under secretary (forest) Shaila Bhosle said, "The committee has been constituted to finalise the report on private forests submitted by the review committee, after considering the objections of the affected parties whose properties are going to be identified as private forests."