Nagpur: In a certain development towards the denotification of 86,409 hectares of zudpi land in Vidarbha, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommended in its report to release this area as it does not fall within the scope of the Forest (Conservation ) Act, 1980.
Although the report was submitted to the clerk of the Supreme Court on October 22, 2019, the case has yet to be heard for more than a year and a half due to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the former divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar, who had pursued the case.
The report was submitted in response to a petition filed by the Divisional Commissioner seeking guidance from the Supreme Court that 86,409 hectares of Zudpi land does not fall under the Forest (Conservation) Act, nor does it attract the provisions of the Ordinance of 12 December 1996 of SC. and it is unsuitable for forest management.
The zudpi jungle is popularly known as ‘Gayran’ having shrubs and few trees and the dispute has been pending since the day Vidarbha was merged with Maharashtra in 1960. The area falls under the Ministry of Finance, But the use of the word forest made it mandatory for the state government to obtain permission from the Union’s Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC).
On February 12, 1992, the Indian government informed the State that lands indicated as zudpi jungle in tax records would continue to be treated as forest land under the Forest Conservation Act.
Kumar, who had submitted detailed presentations to the CEC in accordance with the SC guidelines, said the CEC report allowed the division commissioner to make appropriate changes to the revenue records to change the classification or nomenclature of the jungle. zudpi according to the actual use of the lands, which were closed for forest use before February 12, 1991. Zudpi lands which were not used for non-forest purposes before February 12, 1992, will however be subject to the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.
“The government of Maharashtra will therefore need to take the deforestation from the MOEFCC and make the net present value (NPV) payment and undertake compensatory afforestation and transfer all forest land notified from section 4 to the forestry department by March 31. 2020. It must also complete the forest settlement procedures for all zudpi land notified under section 4 by December 2021 at the latest, ”the CEC report states.
According to Kumar, once the Supreme Court accepts the CEC’s report and grants approval for the denotification of zudpi land, it can be used for other purposes such as infrastructure development. Currently, the land is occupied by state-run institutions such as the MLA foyer and these structures can be regularized after the approval of the SC.
What is the zudpi jungle problem?
* the zudpi jungle is popularly known as Gayran having shrubs and bushes
* It reports to the State Revenue Department
* The use of the word jungle requires the government to obtain approvals from the MOEFCC
* Many state institutions like the MLA hostel and court buildings are on this land
* Even a multitude of irrigation, industrial and mining projects in the zudpi area are blocked due to the non-clearance of the MOEFCC