Palghar, Maharashtra: As schools across Palghar district reopened for the new academic year amid excitement and enthusiasm, the district administration launched an innovative initiative on the very first day of school aimed at creating awareness about land rights among tribal communities.
District Collector's Vision
Conceived by District Collector Dr. Indu Rani Jakhar, the initiative seeks to transform students into agents of change who can carry critical information about land ownership, legal rights, and government procedures from classrooms to their families and communities.
At the heart of the campaign is a specially designed comic book titled “Our Land, Our Rights”, developed under the guidance of Vishal Khatri, Project Officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), Dahanu, and Assistant District Collector.
Challenges Faced by Tribal Families
For generations, many tribal families have faced challenges arising from outdated land records, unresolved inheritance issues, and limited awareness of legal documentation and ownership rights. These challenges often hinder access to government welfare schemes, forest rights, and development benefits. The new initiative aims to address these issues by turning schools into centers of legal literacy and community empowerment.
Using simple illustrations and easy-to-understand storytelling, the comic book introduces students to key concepts such as land records, inheritance rights, forest rights claims, and the importance of maintaining updated revenue documents. Beyond educating students, the initiative seeks to encourage meaningful discussions within families about legal rights and responsibilities.
Distribution Plan
Around 5,000 copies of the comic book will be printed and distributed in phases across Zilla Parishad schools and Ashram schools throughout the district, ensuring that the benefits of the campaign reach thousands of tribal households.
To ensure effective implementation, a structured training mechanism has been put in place. Revenue officials, including Talathis, Circle Officers, and Naib Tehsildars, will collaborate with the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) to train selected teachers as Master Trainers. These teachers will subsequently guide students and fellow educators in understanding land records and verification processes.
The initiative is expected to gain further momentum during the annual Revenue Week in August, when special workshops and verification camps will be organized in schools. Students will be encouraged to bring copies of their families’ 7/12 extracts, forest rights documents, and other relevant records to school. This will help revenue officials facilitate document verification and updation in a more accessible and efficient manner.
Supported under the Expedited Governance Initiative (EGI), the programme focuses on leveraging existing educational and administrative resources to create long-term, citizen-centric systems that strengthen land rights protection and improve access to government benefits.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jakhar said, “When students are empowered with knowledge, the impact extends beyond the classroom and into the wider community. Once children understand their rights, they become effective messengers of awareness within their families and villages.”
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