The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has approved diversion of about 1,058 hectares of reserve forest land of 10 villages in Panchmahal District in Gujarat for development works under the Forests (Conservation) Act, 1980.
This brings an end to the 30-year old stalemate between the state and Centre.
In 1978, 450 families displaced from Hadaf, Kasturi and Idalwada irrigation projects in the Panchmahal district were rehabilitated in forest areas of ten villages in Godhra and Shahera talukas of the district. But the issue remained unsolved for about 30 years as the land could not be made available to the displaced under the aforesaid Act.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state government informed that the state chief minister Narendra Modi had directed the officers of the state forest department as well as resident commissioner in New Delhi for taking up the matter with the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by MoEF and Supreme Court to solve the problem on a priority basis.
Several development works in those 1,058 hectares of forest land which were stalled due to the stalemate will now be completed, including that of the State Government, the statement said.
