Panaji: The Goa government has announced December 19, 2025 — the state’s Liberation Day — as the deadline to resolve all pending cases under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006.
Chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Wednesday held a high level meeting with the officials of State Administration, the panchayat department officials and state Level nodal officer for FRA Ajay Gaude.
Talking to reporters after chairing the meeting at Mantralaya, Porvorim, Sawant said that the government has resolved to clear all the pending cases under Forest Rights Act by December 19, 2025.
December 19 is annually celebrated in the state marking the liberation from 450-year-long Portuguese rule.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA), officially known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a key piece of legislation in India that recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities over the land and resources they have traditionally used.
Sawant said that till date, total 10,500 applications are received by the state government under FRA of which 871 are disposed off while 949 stands rejected.
He clarified that some applications were turned down since the claimed lands were located on revenue land, not within forest boundaries as required under the Act.
The chief minister said that the concerned District Administration will hold “special camps” on June 14, 2025 in all the six talukas from where the claims have been received under FRA.
The special camps would be held in Quepem, Sanguem, Dharbandora, Canacona, Ponda and Sattari taluka respectively.
“The Deputy Collector rank officer from respective talukas will be hosting the camp to process the claims under FRA which would be later forwarded to the District Collectors,” Sawant said.
He said that there are 3,970 cases are pending with different Deputy collectors which would be deposed off during these special camps in all the six talukas.
Respective collectors would process the claims received from the Deputy Collectors, while they will also immediately issue sanads (document of land ownership) to the claimants, Sawant said adding that there are 564 cases which are pending with both the district collectors awaiting the issuance of Sanads.
The chief minister said that there was delay in clearing the claims under FRA as the agency, which was on-boarded to survey the areas claimed by the applicants, left the work midway.
