CM Orders Urgent Rectification Of Forest Land Records In Jiwati

Over 8,659 Hectares To Be Restored To Farmers After Decades-Long Misclassification

Mumbai, July 15 – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed urgent corrective action to reclassify over 8,659.8 hectares of land in Jiwati taluka, Chandrapur district, which were mistakenly designated as forest land. The move is set to bring long-awaited justice to thousands of farmers and tribal residents in the region.

In a high-level meeting at the Vidhan Bhavan, CM Fadnavis emphasized that the matter, pending for decades, must be resolved without further delay. The District Collector’s proposal, routed through the Forest Department to the Revenue Department, seeks removal of illegal forest designation on these lands, allowing for legal transfer of ownership back to original occupants.

The CM directed that the land should be processed in two phases — 6,260 hectares predating 1980 and 2,650 hectares from 1980 to 1996 — and submitted to the Central Government for clearance under the Forest Conservation Act. Once approved, denotification orders will be issued immediately.

This initiative comes after sustained representation from MLA Deorao Bhangale, who stated that misclassification had deprived villagers of rightful land titles, blocking them from accessing housing and agricultural schemes. CM Fadnavis also assured that alternate cultivable lands will be provided in cases where lands are unsuitable for housing schemes.

“Due to forest tagging, people in Jiwati could neither claim their rights nor benefit from government programs,” the CM noted. Officials present included Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik, and senior bureaucrats from Revenue and Forest Departments.

The government’s intervention is expected to bring immense relief to residents of this aspirational and remote taluka, plagued by developmental restrictions due to land-use confusion.