The West Singhbhum administration has started verifying records and boundaries for 14 forest villages in the Saranda and Kolhan forest areas, taking forward a long-pending proposal to convert them into revenue villages under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Deputy commissioner Manish Kumar has directed additional deputy commissioner Kisto Kumar Besra and other officials to conduct a detailed survey of the settlements. The exercise will examine land records, maps, geographical boundaries and other supporting documents before a comprehensive report is submitted by the end of November.
The verification was discussed at a meeting chaired by Kumar at the district headquarters on Sunday. Saranda divisional forest officer Abhirup Sinha, deputy development commissioner Utkarsh Kumar, Besra and other officials attended the meeting, which focused on survey requirements, record verification and the statutory steps required before a final decision.
According to the administration, the exercise is being conducted in line with guidelines issued by the Union tribal affairs ministry and provisions of the Forest Rights Act. The law provides for recognition of eligible individual and community forest rights and permits forest villages, old habitations and unsurveyed settlements to be identified and converted into revenue villages after due procedure.
Ten of the villages included in the verification are located in the Saranda forest area: Tholkobad, Tirilposi, Navagaon-1, Navagaon-2, Bitkal Soy, Digha, Baliwa, Karamapada, Bangaon and Kumudi. The four villages in the Kolhan forest area are Tumbahaka, Rajabasa, Rangamati and Husupi.
The proposed conversion would bring the settlements within the regular revenue administration framework. The administration said the status is expected to help residents access government schemes, civic records and other administrative services. At present, the verification is focused on establishing the historical records, locations and boundaries needed to support the proposal.
The process also places documentation at the centre of the decision. Officials have been asked to verify whether the records are complete and whether the proposed village boundaries comply with the applicable legal provisions. The report to be submitted by the end of November is expected to set out the findings and the administrative steps required for further action.
The administration has not yet announced a final decision on the conversion of the 14 settlements. That decision will follow the completion of the survey, verification of records and examination of the statutory procedure discussed at the district meeting.
