PANAJI: The government will set up two cells under the department of forests, one for each district, within a month’s time for monitoring the disputed forest lands in the state, especially those claimed by the private parties, after the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party pointed out that the government is set to lose forest land valued at Rs 1,600 crore to the private parties.

The Minister for Forests, Mr Filipe Neri Rodrigues replying to a related question from the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar during the Question Hour on Monday announced that the members of these cells would be those in whom the government can place its full confidence.
Acknowledging that huge forest lands going in possession of private parties is a very serious issue, the Minister for Forests observed that huge forest areas cannot be in private possession. “It is high time that we retrospect on why the department of forests is failing to win cases related to the forest lands under dispute,” he stated, pointing out that the revenue records are improper and the existing documentation does not tally with the present survey records.
Earlier, the House was informed that presently there are 99 pending cases with respect to forest land claimed by private parties as their own, at various levels in the state. It was also informed that the forest department has lost seven such cases during the last five years at various levels, including the Supreme Court.
The leader of the opposition stated that presently 10,792 hectares of land is under dispute which constituted 3.2 per cent of the total Goan area and 8 per cent of the total forest area of Goa. “The total value of this land along with trees and other vegetation is Rs 1,600 crore,” he added noting that 10 to 12 cases out of the 99 cases under dispute are cases involving big areas. The MLA of Sanguem, Mr Vasudeo Gaonkar pointed out that around 4,000 hectares of land has already been lost by the government to the private parties.