Van panchayat is a self-initiated forest protection group in Uttarakhand. Village communities of Uttarakhand have been involved in forest management and forest protection known as Van Panchayats (VPs).

1. UTTARAKHAND VAN
PANCHAYAT
Presented By:
Sandeep Prabhakar
ID No-17352
M.Sc. Agroforestry

2. Content
 History
 Van panchayat
 Van panchayat fund
 Frame of van panchayat
 Function of van panchayat
 Powers of van panchayat
 Microplan
 Van panchayat rule 2005

3. History
 1815-British arrived in Uttarakhand use forests as
commercial resource.
 1864-Established the Indian forest department
 1878- forest act passed, transferred mountain forests
into the control of forest department, imposed and
banned forest fires.
 1921- Kumaun forest grievance committee.
 1927- Indian forest act.
 1931- first van panchayat rules
 1972, 1976, 2001, 2005- Van panchayat rules.

4. Van panchayat
Van panchayat is self initiated forest protection group
in Uttarakhand.
Village communities of Uttarakhand have been
involved in forest management and forest protection
known as Van Panchayats (VPs).
Van panchayat are a unique example of forestry in
partnership with government and local people.

5. State govt. Of Uttarakhand
Revenue deptt. Forest deptt.
Sub divisional magistrate Divisional forest officer
VAN PANCHAYAT
Management committee
Sarpanch
Van panchayat leader
User User
User
Application Investigation Approval

6.  The first government approved van panchayat
was formed in 1921.
 There are 12064 van panchayat managing
5.23 lakh hectares of forests in Uttarakhand.
 Except U.S. Nagar and Haridwar, 11 district
of uttrakhand have van panchayat.
 Maximum No. Of Van panchayat in Pauri
(2430) followed by Almora (2199) and
Pithoragarh (1661).
 Minimum No. Of Van panchayat is in
Dehradun (205) followed by Nainital (496).

7. Sources of fund
A panchayti forest fund shall be created for every
van panchayat & the income from the following
sources shall be deposited in it:
 The sale of proceeds of forest produce
 Government grants
 Any other sources of revenue
Van panchayat shall manage the panchayti forest
fund under the overall control of DFO. the
account shall be operated by the sarpanch.

8. Fund disbursed to van panchayat for
afforestation and other activities by forest
dept. has been Rs. 4.26 crore in 2016-17, Rs.
11.00 crore in 2015-16 and Rs. 15.61 crore in
2014-15.
Government grants of van panchayat
Referance:Times of India, Seema Sharma, Nov 21,2017

9. Function of van panchayat
 To develop and protect forests.
 To construct and fixed boundary and maintain
them.
 To ensure that there is no encroachment on van
panchayat land.
 To carry out the directives of the sub-divisional
magistrate in developing and protecting forests.
 20% of the area of the forest must be closed for
grazing every year.
 To distribution of forest produce amongst right
holder in an equitable manner.

10. Uttarakhand
 Total geographical area is 53483 sq km.
 13 districts with 37999.60 sq km of forest
(71.05% of total land area) and forest cover is
24495 sq km (45.80%).
 In Uttrakhand established approximate 12089
Van panchayat, 6278 in Garhwal region and
5811 in Kumaun region.

11. Frame of Van panchayat
At least more than 50% mature people have to
agree for making van panchayat in their
village and boundary of that village should
touch the forest area (under the Uttarakhand
forest dept.).

12. The members of van panchayat
 In van panchayat 5-13 member elected by peoples.
 election are held every five year.
 One surpanch is elected from themselves.
 At list one SC/ST member and one woman member
should be elected to committee.
 The number of member is depend on the number of
households in village.

13. Financial power of van panchayat
 They can sell grass, fallen twigs and stone slates.
 They can sell tree up to value of Rs. 5000 with the
approval of distt. Magistrate and DFO.
 The income released from resin, timber and fees
is distributed as-
• Zila parisad is given 20%
• Gram sabha is given 40%
• the remaining is given to state forest deptt for
maintenance and development of van panchayat
rules.

14. The punitive power of van panchayat
 They can levy fine up to Rs. 50 with the prior
approval of the deputy commissioner, later
revised up to Rs. 500.
 They can seize cattle.
 They can forfeit the weapons of the offender.

15. MICROPLAN- Van Panchayat to prepare a micro plan
for the management & protection of panchayti forests
for a period of 5 yr with the assistance of the DFO.
The micro plan will be placed before the general
meeting of all right holders for it approval before it is
finally.
DUTIES OF SARPANCH- the sarpanch shall be
responsible for overall functioning of van panchayat,
which include calling & presiding meeting, directing
& managing the establishment, works & accounts.
the sarpanch will have the power to incur
expenditure up to Rs 1000/.

16. VAN PANCHAYAT RULES 2005
Rules 1- Full name, establishment and expansion of
van panchayat.
Rules 2- Definition
Rules 3- Frame of van panchayat
Rules 4- Notice related to issue and clime
Rules 5- Appeal related to boundary of van panchayat
and decision of issue and clime.
Rules 6(A)- Right of user
6(B)- Duties of user
Rules 7- Formation of common assembly and
management committee

17. Rules 8- Appeal related to election
Rules 9- Declaration of management committee
Rules 10- Informed the forest deptt. about van panchayat
and management committee.
Rules 11- Management strategy
Rules 12- Micro plan.
Rules 13- Annual working strategy
Rules 14- Working plan of management committee
Rules 15- Working periods of member of management
committee
Rules 16- Meeting of management committee
Rules 17- Elimination of sarpanch and other members
Rules 18- Use of forest produce
Rules 19- Duties of management committee
Rule 20- Rights of management committee

18. Rule 21- Power to make byelaws
Rule 22- Appointment of labours
Rule 23- Maintained register
Rule 24- Annual working report of management
committee
Rule 25- Duties of sarpanch
Rule 26- Stand down of sarpanch
Rule 27- Selection of another sarpanch within members
Rule 28- Fund of van panchayat
Rule 29- Management of fund of van panchayat
Rule 30- Use of fund that is obtained from forest
produce
Rule 30(A)- Aforestation employment strategy
Rule 31- Annual budget

19. Rule 32- Change over annual budget
Rule 33- Account
Rule 34- Examination of accountant
Rule 35- Disposal objection related to exam of accountant
Rule 36- information about Embezzlement (gaban)
Rule 37- Investigation of embezzlement
Rule 38- members or sarpanch are suspend
Rule 39- suspension of members or sarpanch of
management committee
Rule 40- appeal against rule 38 & 39
Rule 41- Appointment of another sarpanch
Rule 42- Name of temporary sarpanch
Rule 43- Suspension, disruption and encrochment of
management committee
Rule 44- Appeal against rule 43

20. Rule 45- Formation of new temporary management
committee
Rule 46- Reorganisation of management committee
Rule 47- recovery of bill or dues of management
committee
Rule 48- Evaluation of expense amount of management
committee by forest deptt.
Rule 49- power of DFO
Rule 50- evaluation of working activities of management
committee by officers
Rule 51- Evaluation of working activities of management
committee by MLA & Saansad
Rule 52- Formation of regional advisory committee
Rule 53- formation of district advisory committee

21. Rule 54- Formation of state level advisory committee
Rule 55- Selection of regional and district coordinator
Rule 56- Removal of regional and district coordinator
through no confidence motion
Rule 57- Duties of regional and district advisory
committee
Rule 58- all the van panchayat should follow the earlier
implemented rules of schedule district act 1974/
kumaun panchayat forest rules/ tehri state province
panchayati legislation number 1, 1938/ 1976 or declared
under panchayati van rules 2001

22. Pauri Garhwal van panchayat Record
Sr no Block name Total van
panchayat
Area in acre
1 KOTDWAR 194 2165.582
2 KALJIKHAL 193 2251.499
3 PAURI 150 2152.635
4 PABO 145 1952.881
5 THALISAIN 168 7605.981
6 BIRONKHAL 184 3731.027
7 DWARIKHAL 158 2741.251
8 DUGADDA 159 4035.020
9 JAHRIKHAL 174 3575.568
10 EKESHWAR 137 2341.725
11 RIKHNIKHAL 149 7431.920
12 YAMESHWAR 197 3847.185
13 NAINIDANDA 220 5996.163
14 POKHRA 123 1648.733
15 KHIRSHU 80 1402.972
Total 2431 52880.163

23. References
 www.jstor.org/discover
 Gupta, B.P. (2005). Uttranchal PanchayatiVan
Niymawali. Uttranchal :VanVibhag