Government Assures: No One Will Be Rendered Homeless in Forest Land Regularization

Maharashtra to Submit Land Regularization Proposal to Centre Within One Month

In a significant assurance to thousands of forest-dwelling families, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule declared in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that no citizen residing on “zudpi jungle” (scrub forest) land will be made homeless, even as the state complies with a Supreme Court ruling dated May 22, 2025 that classified such land as forest area.

The statement came in response to a legislative motion by MLA Nana Patole, supported by legislators Rajkumar Badole and Sanjay Meshram, raising concerns about the potential displacement of households in six districts of Vidarbha following the court’s ruling.

Minister Bawankule informed the House that the government has instructed that all pre-1996 allotments of scrub forest land—made by competent authorities—will be proposed for regularization. A formal proposal, in the specified format of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, will be submitted to the Central Empowered Committee within one month.

For land occupied after 1996, a separate set of data will be submitted. Furthermore, to resolve the confusion between reserved forest areas and legally distributed land, a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary will be convened, following which a clear and formal Government Resolution (GR) will be issued.

Providing statistics, Bawankule stated that:

• The total notified scrub forest area is 92,115 hectares.
• Of this, 27,560 hectares are encroached, while 26,672 hectares are under non-forest use.
• Over 86,000 hectares are deemed unsuitable for afforestation.
• Another 32,000 hectares are already listed as protected under forest and revenue departments.
• Areas with less than 3 hectares of scrub have already been declared as protected forests but are not subject to transfer.

The minister emphasized that these lands, while restricted, can be used by occupants and clarified that there is no need to displace families or initiate transfers where usage is lawful.