Nagpur: Central government has accepted recommendation of a high power committee and approved simplified procedure for diversion of 86,409 hectares zudpi jungle land in possession of revenue department in Maharashtra.
According to state officials, the MoEFCC's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in its meeting on October 26 also agreed not to levy net present value (NPV) for the said land. NPV is the compensatory charge for ecological damage that agency diverting forest land to non-forest use has to pay.
"It is to be seen whether Supreme Court agrees to such a wayward decision," said experts. "This move is unjustified. NPV amount running into crores would have been contributed by different agencies towards diversion of lands. The money would have come back to Maharashtra. We will lose this money which would have come for forest conservation," said Kishor Rithe, former member, National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
Zudpi jungle land in Maharashtra has always been a debatable issue and politicians, many of whom have encroached upon such lands, always dubbed it a stumbling block to development of Vidarbha region.
"Zudpi lands, which erroneously have been classified as forest, have since 1980 been a bone of contention between Centre and state governments," said forest officials. They added the issue of settling disputes over said lands was the mandate of respective governments since then. A high power committee constituted by the Government of India had submitted its report in 1998 covering 1,78,525 hectares zudpi jungle land.
The committee recommended declaring 92,116 hectares zudpi jungle suitable for forest management as reserved and protected forest. It suggested denotification of 86,409 hectares zudpi jungle. This included land under encroachment (27,507ha); land already under non-forestry use (26,672ha) and fragmented land below 3ha with revenue department (32,229ha).
Government of India has now accepted the recommendation of the committee. Based on government decision, FAC has consented to exempt levy of NPV against land under encroachment (27,507ha) and land under non-forestry use (26,672ha) totalling 54,179 hectares.
FAC observed that remaining 32,229 hectare land in custody of revenue department shall continue to be in its custody by retaining tree growth and pasture status.
However, FAC said whenever proposals for diversion of such lands are sent to the Centre, it would attract levy of NPV. It further stated orders need to be issued by the MoEFCC to give relief of Rs2.71 crore (@Rs 5 lakh per hectare) NPV on 54,179 hectare land. Forest officials said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had taken up the issue with the PMO.
Rithe said the previous government too had decided to de-reserve 86,409 hectare zudpi jungle land from Vidarbha in one go and had requested MoEFCC to exempt the state from paying Rs3,785 crore NPV for change in land status.
According to state officials, the MoEFCC's Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in its meeting on October 26 also agreed not to levy net present value (NPV) for the said land. NPV is the compensatory charge for ecological damage that agency diverting forest land to non-forest use has to pay.
"It is to be seen whether Supreme Court agrees to such a wayward decision," said experts. "This move is unjustified. NPV amount running into crores would have been contributed by different agencies towards diversion of lands. The money would have come back to Maharashtra. We will lose this money which would have come for forest conservation," said Kishor Rithe, former member, National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
Zudpi jungle land in Maharashtra has always been a debatable issue and politicians, many of whom have encroached upon such lands, always dubbed it a stumbling block to development of Vidarbha region.
"Zudpi lands, which erroneously have been classified as forest, have since 1980 been a bone of contention between Centre and state governments," said forest officials. They added the issue of settling disputes over said lands was the mandate of respective governments since then. A high power committee constituted by the Government of India had submitted its report in 1998 covering 1,78,525 hectares zudpi jungle land.
The committee recommended declaring 92,116 hectares zudpi jungle suitable for forest management as reserved and protected forest. It suggested denotification of 86,409 hectares zudpi jungle. This included land under encroachment (27,507ha); land already under non-forestry use (26,672ha) and fragmented land below 3ha with revenue department (32,229ha).
Government of India has now accepted the recommendation of the committee. Based on government decision, FAC has consented to exempt levy of NPV against land under encroachment (27,507ha) and land under non-forestry use (26,672ha) totalling 54,179 hectares.
FAC observed that remaining 32,229 hectare land in custody of revenue department shall continue to be in its custody by retaining tree growth and pasture status.
However, FAC said whenever proposals for diversion of such lands are sent to the Centre, it would attract levy of NPV. It further stated orders need to be issued by the MoEFCC to give relief of Rs2.71 crore (@Rs 5 lakh per hectare) NPV on 54,179 hectare land. Forest officials said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had taken up the issue with the PMO.
Rithe said the previous government too had decided to de-reserve 86,409 hectare zudpi jungle land from Vidarbha in one go and had requested MoEFCC to exempt the state from paying Rs3,785 crore NPV for change in land status.
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