Maharashtra govt to form panel to look into rehabilitation of encroachers in Sanjay Gandhi National Park

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The Maharashtra Government has decided the formation of a committee to prepare a plan for the rehabilitation of encroachers in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) within a stipulated timeframe in a bid to solve the issue of encroachments at the green cover.

According to a government notification issued by the Revenue and Forest Department, a committee comprising the members of the legislative assembly and council has been formed to suggest measures to address the challenges arising while resettling and rehabilitating the encroachers.

A forest department official told mid-day that an organisation has filed Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No 48/2023 in the Bombay High Court regarding the issue of rehabilitation of encroachers in SGNP. During the hearing on September 23, the court instructed the authorities concerned to formulate and implement a time-bound plan for addressing the rehabilitation of encroachers and the removal of illegal structures from SGNP.

Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development), Urban Development Department, is the Chairperson of the committee and the other members include the Principal Secretary of the Revenue and Forest Department, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Officer of Mumbai Board of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) as well as the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) CEO.