Historic Victory for Forest Communities in Maharashtra
In a groundbreaking decision that resolves a ten-year struggle, the Maharashtra government has officially released a new government resolution that establishes the final procedure for Gram Sabhas with Community Forest Rights to issue transit permits for minor forest produce. This landmark policy represents a significant triumph for forest communities across the state.
Restoring Legal Rights After Long Struggle
The tribal development department issued the crucial GR on Thursday, effectively implementing the state's earlier decision to restore the exclusive authority of Gram Sabhas under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. More than a thousand Gram Sabhas and lakhs of forest-dependent families throughout Vidarbha are projected to benefit from this formalized process.
For years, villages holding forest rights in Vidarbha encountered arbitrary interference, coercion, and even confiscation of their produce by certain forest department officials. These officials incorrectly insisted that only departmental transit permits were valid, despite clear provisions in the Forest Rights Act that grant Gram Sabhas the right to collect, store, sell, and transport minor forest produce.
The legal foundation for these rights is firmly established in Sections 3(1)(g), Rule 2(1)(d), and Rule 4(1)(ch) of the Forest Rights Act, which explicitly vest ownership and transport sanctioning powers with the Gram Sabha.
Grassroots Advocacy Drives Policy Change
Persistent advocacy efforts by the Vidarbha Livelihood Forum and Vidarbha Gram Sabha Federation played a pivotal role in pushing for this corrective action. Senior practitioners including Dilip Gode of Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society, Poornima Upadhyay of Khoj, and Dr Kishore Moghe of Gramin Samasya Mukti Trust led sustained engagement through multiple strategies.
Their approach included:
- Regular meetings with government officials
- Submission of detailed memoranda
- Educational workshops for communities
- Strategic legal interventions
These efforts successfully highlighted years of unlawful administrative overreach that had deprived communities of their legally guaranteed rights.
Government Officials Ensure Legal Compliance
Senior state officials, including Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge, Additional Chief Secretary Praveen Pardeshi, and Tribal Development Department Secretary Vijay Waghmare, carefully examined the legal position and ensured that the government issued a definitive procedural framework.
The new GR now clearly authorizes Gram Sabhas to print, issue, and manage their own transit permits, eliminating long-standing ambiguity and restoring full compliance with the Forest Rights Act. This resolution is being celebrated as a major advancement in strengthening community-led forest governance and securing economically significant rights over minor forest produce—rights that had been legally guaranteed but routinely denied for years.
This development marks a significant step toward recognizing the vital role forest communities play in sustainable forest management and ensuring they receive the economic benefits rightfully owed to them under national legislation.
