Maharashtra Government to Seek Supreme Court Relief on Sindhudurg Forest Land Classification

The Maharashtra government plans to approach the Supreme Court seeking relief over the forest classification of 42,242 hectares in Sindhudurg district. A revised survey suggests excluding 9,173 hectares from forest categorization, with 1,875 hectares likely to remain classified as forest. MLA Nilesh Rane highlighted that villages, temples, and agricultural lands were incorrectly marked as forest, causing difficulties for residents and farmers, including delays in housing permissions. The government acknowledged survey errors post the 1996 Godavarman case and intends to correct affidavits and resolve the issue with the forest department.