The decision has been taken in the wake of a batch of 184 cases, including Writ Petition No. 1536 of 2017 and connected matters, concerning entries relating to private forests in land revenue records. The government order was issued by the Revenue and Forest Department on August 13, 2026.

The disputes relate to land records where properties have been recorded as private forests under provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Maharashtra Private Forests (Acquisition) Act, 1975, and various orders issued under these laws.

High Court directs scrutiny mechanism

According to the government order, the Bombay High Court, while deciding Writ Petition No. 1536 of 2017 and other connected matters on July 23, 2026, examined several earlier orders of the High Court and Supreme Court and classified the cases according to the applicable legal principles.

The court also specified the nature of entries that should be made in revenue records and the restrictions applicable to the concerned lands.

Given the large number of cases involving private forest entries and the workload of the courts, the High Court suggested that the State Government establish a committee to scrutinise such matters before landholders approach the court.

The government order refers specifically to the High Court’s direction that the committee should operate under an officer not below the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests.

Three-member committee constituted

Acting on the High Court’s directions, Maharashtra has constituted a scrutiny committee comprising senior forest officials.

The committee will be headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), Nagpur.

Its members are:

• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Conservation), Nagpur
• Deputy Conservator of Forests, Working Plan Division, Pune, who will serve as Member Secretary

The committee’s chairperson can also invite experts, legal advisers, government officials and other persons or agencies whenever their expertise is considered necessary.

What will the committee examine?

The committee will examine cases and representations concerning private forest entries in revenue records, while remaining within the scope of the Bombay High Court’s July 23 order.

This means the committee is not being given a general mandate to decide every land dispute involving forest-related issues. Its scrutiny will specifically concern cases arising from private forest entries made in revenue records under the relevant forest laws and orders.

After examining a case, the committee will submit its recommendations to the Maharashtra government for an appropriate decision.

The final decision will therefore be taken at the government level on the basis of the committee’s recommendations.

Landowners will have to approach the Forest Department first

The government has also laid down a specific procedure for landholders who have objections to private forest entries in their revenue records.

A concerned account holder or landholder will have to submit a representation, along with appropriate supporting documents, to the office of the concerned Deputy Conservator of Forests.

The Deputy Conservator of Forests will then have to forward the representation to the scrutiny committee within eight days of receiving it.

The concerned forest official will also be required to place the Forest Department’s written position and the factual status of the matter before the committee, based on records available with the department.

Where necessary, information may also be obtained from the concerned Sub-Divisional Officer of the Revenue Department.

The committee will then examine the representation, the Forest Department’s factual position and any additional information obtained from the Revenue Department.

Committee must meet at least once every 15 days

The government has prescribed a regular working mechanism for the committee.

The committee is required to ensure that a meeting is held at least once every 15 days.

Following its scrutiny, the committee will forward the case to the State Government along with its recommendations.

The government will subsequently take a decision based on those recommendations.

The committee has also been given the flexibility to include additional members whenever required for examining particular cases.

Committee initially constituted for one year

The scrutiny committee will initially remain in operation for one year.

However, the government has retained the power to extend its tenure depending on the volume and nature of work. The committee’s composition can also be modified by the government whenever necessary.

The move is significant for landholders whose properties have faced restrictions or disputes because of private forest entries in revenue records.

Instead of immediately approaching the High Court, affected landholders will now have a government-level scrutiny mechanism through which their cases can first be examined in accordance with the framework laid down by the High Court.

Why the decision matters for landowners

A private forest entry in a revenue record can have major implications for the use, transfer and development of land. Such entries can lead to disputes over whether the property is subject to restrictions under forest laws and whether the land was validly treated as private forest.

The new mechanism is intended to provide a preliminary scrutiny process for such disputes.

Importantly, the government order does not state that every private forest entry will be removed or altered merely because a landholder submits a representation. Instead, each case will be examined individually within the scope of the High Court’s July 23, 2026 order, after which the committee will make its recommendations to the government.

The scrutiny committee’s recommendations will therefore form the basis for the State Government’s decision in the concerned cases.

The Government Resolution was issued by the Maharashtra Revenue and Forest Department on August 13, 2026, under GR No. एस-10/2026/प्र.क्र.500/वने-03.

Key details

• GR date: August 13, 2026
• Department: Maharashtra Revenue and Forest Department
• High Court order referred to: July 23, 2026
• Lead case: Writ Petition No. 1536 of 2017 and connected matters
• Number of cases referred to in the GR: 184
• Subject: Private forest entries in revenue records
• Committee chairperson: Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), Nagpur
• Initial tenure: One year
• Representation to be filed before: Concerned Deputy Conservator of Forests
• Forwarding period: Within 8 days
• Committee meeting frequency: At least once every 15 days
• Final decision: Maharashtra Government based on committee recommendations

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