Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced that tribal families with land under the Forest Rights Act will receive independent land registry documents. This move is expected to benefit over two lakh families in the state. The Minister revealed that eligible beneficiaries will now get separate Satbara Utara entries through Form 7E and Village Form 12E, allowing them to establish direct ownership records for lands granted under the FRA.
Minister Bawankule highlighted that previously, tribal farmers’ names were only listed under the ‘Other Rights’ section of the Satbara document after forest land patta approval. The primary ownership still showed as ‘Government of Maharashtra – Forests.’ This led to practical difficulties for tribal farmers in obtaining a ‘Farmer ID,’ accessing agricultural loans, utilizing Agriculture Department schemes, and claiming disaster compensation.
To address these challenges, a special committee was set up under the Chief Minister’s guidance and chaired by the Revenue Minister. Following the committee’s suggestions, the government introduced a provision for independent Satbara Form 7E and Village Form 12E documents for forest land patta holders. The primary holder’s name will now be directly registered, and these forms will record the crops grown on the land.
Tribal farmers will now have easier access to government agricultural benefits, including ‘AgriStack.’ In areas where forest land pattas were issued within clustered ‘Forest Blocks,’ the Land Records Department will promptly conduct surveys. Once completed, official entries will be made in the independent Satbara Form 7E and Village Form 12E.
The Revenue Minister urged all MLAs representing tribal regions to hold meetings in their constituencies and implement the ‘7E and 12E’ document process to help tribal communities secure their rights. Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Nana Patole welcomed the decision, with Wadettiwar expressing satisfaction that the demand for independent land records for tribals is being met. Patole also called for the re-appointment of ‘Village Forest Rights Committees.’
In response, the Revenue Minister assured that tribals will receive their independent land records, and the government, under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ direction, is considering the formation of ‘Village Forest Rights Committees.’ A swift review of this matter will be conducted.
