Maharashtra Government Circular on Forest Land Protection (1976): Encroachment Removal, Afforestation & Transfer of Revenue Forest Lands
The Government of Maharashtra issued Circular No. FLD-1076/110-F-3 dated 04.08.1976 to reinforce its long-term policy of protecting forest lands from deforestation, unauthorized cultivation, and encroachments. The circular emphasizes that forest land should never be diverted for regularizing illegal occupations or resettling encroachers. Instead, all forest lands must be preserved for environmental conservation and afforestation. This historic policy became one of the important administrative guidelines for safeguarding Maharashtra's forest resources and promoting sustainable forest management.
According to the circular, every encroachment on forest land—whether under the control of the Forest Department, Revenue Department, or classified as unclassified forest—must be removed promptly. The Government clearly instructed that no forest land should be deforested or transferred to any department, institution, or private party without prior approval of the State Cabinet. Such approval would be granted only in exceptional situations where no practical alternative exists. This policy was intended to prevent unnecessary diversion of forest areas and ensure that forests continue to serve ecological and environmental purposes.
The circular also directs that forest lands should not be leased for cultivation in the future, and any existing agricultural leases should not be renewed. Instead, such lands must be transferred to the Forest Department for afforestation and ecological restoration. By prohibiting cultivation on forest lands, the Government aimed to increase tree cover, improve biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, and strengthen long-term environmental sustainability across Maharashtra.
Another significant provision of the circular relates to Revenue Department forest lands. It reiterates earlier instructions that revenue forest lands not reserved for any essential public purpose should be handed over to the Forest Department whenever possible. Necessary mutation entries were also directed to be completed to ensure proper transfer of ownership and administrative control. This measure was designed to bring forest areas under a single management authority for better conservation and protection.
The Government further instructed that unallotted Government wastelands and surplus lands located within or adjoining forest areas, especially those unsuitable for cultivation, should also be transferred to the Forest Department for afforestation. These lands could then be developed through plantation activities, helping expand forest cover and restore degraded ecosystems. Such provisions demonstrate the Government's commitment to increasing green cover rather than converting natural landscapes for non-forest purposes.
To ensure strict implementation, the circular directed all Collectors, Conservators of Forests, Divisional Forest Officers, and other concerned authorities to enforce these instructions uniformly throughout the State. It also clarified that these directions supersede previous instructions on the subject and must be followed without exception. Where clarification is required in specific cases, district authorities were instructed to seek guidance from the State Government before taking any action involving forest land.
This 1976 Maharashtra Government Circular remains an important administrative milestone in forest conservation. By discouraging deforestation, preventing encroachments, restricting agricultural leases on forest land, and promoting afforestation through the transfer of suitable Government lands to the Forest Department, the policy strengthened the State's commitment to environmental protection. Even today, the circular is frequently referred to in matters relating to forest land management, encroachment removal, and conservation of Maharashtra's valuable forest resources.
: Maharashtra Forest Land Circular 1976
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