South Goa clears 104 forest rights claims, North approves 45

Panaji: In a move under Project Adhikaar, Goa’s district level committees (DLCs) have finalised 149 Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 claims — 104 in South Goa, and 45 in North Goa. The South Goa DLC, headed by collector Egna Cleetus, finalised 104 claims received from applicants in Padi, Quiscond, Cordem, and Quedem in Quepem taluka.

Meanwhile, the North Goa DLC, chaired by collector Ankit Yadav, approved 45 claims in Zarme. Yadav cleared 38 applications after the committee scrutinised the documentation but called seven other applicants for personal hearings.These approvals are a part of the state’s push to clear long-pending Forest Rights Committee (FRC) claims under Project Adhikaar. In Goa specifically, as of mid-2024, roughly 10,500 claims were filed, and there were 806 land titles (sanads) distributed, underscoring that only a small fraction of claims have been settled.About 949 applications have been rejected to date because the claims pertained to revenue land, leaving nearly 8,000 forest rights applications pending. CM Pramod Sawant has pledged a fast-track schedule to dispose of all applications by Dec 19.