Orange Area land dispute, is arguably the most serious land issue with policy and legal implications in the states of M.P. and Chhattisgarh. Result of lack of coordinated functioning amongst the Forest Department and Revenue Department. Confusion in understanding of the Zamindari/Malguzari Abolition Act, 1950 and State Land Revenue Codes

1. 5 April, 2017; New Delhi
ENABLING TENURAL CLARITY FOR
LANDSCAPE RESTORATION
A LOOK AT THE ORANGE AREAS DISPUTE
KRISHNA KUMAR SINGH, WRI INDIA & VELT

2. RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES MAP FOR SIDHI
Preliminary analysis by WRI India

3. VILLAGE BOUNDRIES AND PRESENT FOREST AREAS

4. CAUSES FOR THE DISPUTE
• Orange Area land dispute, is arguably the most serious
land issue with policy and legal implications in the states
of M.P. and Chhattisgarh.
• Result of lack of coordinated functioning amongst the
Forest Department and Revenue Department.
• Confusion in understanding of the Zamindari/Malguzari
Abolition Act, 1950 and State Land Revenue Codes

5. VILLAGE OF CHATTARPUR DISTRICT - BETUL

6. LEFT-OUT AREA OR ORANGE AREA

7. 1994 – ASHOK MASIH’S CABINET NOTE
• Ashok Mashi’s (former Chief Secretary) Cabinet Note for
Government of Madhya Pradesh.
• It has been admitted by the State that the statistics of the
forest department places the forest area as 2,54,505.09
square km: approximately 35% of the total land area.
• At the same time the Revenue department and Commissioner
of land Records claim that the total forest area in the State is
1,42,110.32 square km (1,42,11,032 Hectares).
• So, in reality, who owns 1,12,394.77 sq. km of land ?

8. 71,909 hectors
of land in
Betul district
alone, has
double entry
71,909
hectares of
land
reported by
Forest
Department
71,909
hectares of
land
reported by
Revenue
Department
EXAMPLE: BETUL DISTRICT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Reference; Anil Garg’s latest book “Etahashik Anyay Banam Asali Davedari”

9. FULLY DENOTIFIED VILLAGES OR “VAN VAHEEN
GRAM”
446 out of 1095 villages in Sidhi are fully de-notified of forest areas.

10. GOVERNMENT’S ADHINIYAMS & ORDERS
TO FURTHER COMPLICATE MATTERS
1966 M.P. Padat Bhooomi ka Krishikaran Adhiniyam
1970 The Madhya Pradesh Gramo Mein ki Dakhal Rahit Bhumi ( Vishesh
Upbandh ) Adhiniyam
1975 Cabinet decisions that further complicated the issue to distribute
Patta without de-notification process completed.
1976 Cabinet decision to re-examine The Orange Areas
1980 Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and its effects
1986 TheAdhikar Abhiyan : Conferral Of Bhoomiswami Rights on lands
not In control of Revenue Dept
1990 Forest Conservation Act Made Applicable to Chote Bade Jhad Ke
Jungle.

11. MAPTENURE (MAPTENUREINDIA.ORG)

12. THANK YOU