Palghar, August 25, 2026: The Palghar district administration has directed the Forest Department to complete the process of recording forest land details in the revenue records (7/12 extracts) by August 31, 2026. The deadline was reiterated at a review meeting held on Tuesday, August 25, chaired by the Resident Deputy Collector.
The work was expected to be completed by the end of June as per government directions. However, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the monsoon resulted in delays.
The government has now reiterated the need to complete the exercise by the end of August, following which the district administration has set August 31 as the final deadline.
The Resident Deputy Collector directed the Forest Department to complete the pending work within the stipulated period and submit a compliance report.
Land Records Being Reconciled
Under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, records relating to land ownership are maintained through revenue records, including the 7/12 extract. Forest land, meanwhile, is maintained separately by the Forest Department in forest registers (Form No. 1).
Any discrepancy between the two sets of records can create difficulties in determining the status of land and may lead to disputes and litigation, particularly in cases involving forest land entries, encroachments and non-forest use.
The state government has therefore taken up the exercise on priority. As per the government circular dated April 23, 2026, details relating to the type and statutory status of forests, sub-category of forest and the entries required to be made in the 7/12 extract are to be recorded within the prescribed timeframe.
Based on information obtained from the Deputy Conservators of Forests at Dahanu and Jawhar, the process is being carried out at the field level in coordination with Assistant Conservators of Forests, Forest Range Officers, tehsildars and Deputy Superintendents of Land Records.
Regular Reviews Underway
The district administration has been conducting regular reviews instead of restricting the exercise to a single meeting. Review meetings were held on June 10, June 25, July 30 and August 25 under the chairmanship of the District Collector and Resident Deputy Collector. The progress of the exercise is being regularly reviewed with officials from the Forest, Revenue and Land Records departments.
At the July 30 review meeting, the Forest Department was directed to provide the required records, maps and documents, while the Revenue Department was instructed to make the necessary entries in the 7/12 records within 15 days.
As the work remained incomplete, officials have now been given strict instructions to meet the August 31 deadline, failing which the matter will be viewed seriously.
Discrepancies Affect Land Status
A significant number of revenue lands in Palghar are located adjoining forest areas. Due to discrepancies between the records maintained by the Revenue and Forest departments, cases often have to be referred to the Forest Department for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to establish whether a particular parcel falls under any forest notification.
According to the district administration, almost all records relating to protected and reserved forest lands have now been updated and the concerned Deputy Conservators of Forests have been asked to certify them. Work relating to private forests and other forest lands is still underway and has been directed to be completed at the earliest.
The completion of the exercise is expected to provide greater clarity to landholders regarding the status and permissible use of their land and facilitate the process of obtaining statutory permissions. At the same time, it will help ensure that private forest land and identified forest areas remain protected from misuse.
Deadline Set For August 31
The district administration said its sustained and phased monitoring has brought the pending exercise to its final stage and expressed confidence that it will be completed by August 31.
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Updating the records is also expected to help reduce the possibility of litigation arising from discrepancies in forest and revenue records. From an ‘Ease of Doing Business’ perspective, clearer forest records are expected to facilitate faster processing of development-related permissions wherever forest status has to be verified.
The district administration is closely monitoring compliance with the August 31 deadline.
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