If official sources are to be believed, then the Bengali speaking people of Mahakalapada block have converted about 6,002 acres of Government lands, including forest and revenue lands, into homestead and agriculture land after encroaching it.
As a result, a process has started recently by the Revenue and Forest Departments to provide them RoR (Record of Rights) after getting approval from the State Government and the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
According to official sources, during 1971-1978, several Bengali-speaking people and the Bangladeshi refugees started staying at 17 villages of seven panchayats under three revenue circles of Mahakalapada tehsil by encroaching the forest and revenue lands after obtaining
K-form (interim order receipt) from the local administration. later, the much required record correction for land settlement was not made by the concerned Revenue Inspector (RI) circles, nor did the tehsil office undertake any RoR correction.
The K-form holders later managed to provide land revenue receipts and other land taxes in the concerned RI offices following the Revenue Inspectors managed to add the khata plot from the K-form receipt in their tenant ledgers. But in 2013, as per the decision of a review meeting, the Mahakalapada tehsil office did not collect the land revenue receipts from the K-form holders.
According to Mahakalapada tehsildar Nilamadhab Bhoi, Ramnagar and Barajbahauda villages under Ramachandi circle have been settled and RoR has been provided.
According to official sources, in Petachhela revenue circle, as many as 954 persons after possessing K-form have encroached 945.15 acres of forest and non-forest land in Petchhela village, whereas 77.17 acres of forest and non forest lands were encroached by 147 persons after obtaining K-form and 163.47 acres of land have been encroached by 288 persons in Bateni village and 64 persons encroached 11 acres in Kentia village.
Similarly, 936 persons have encroached 804 .85 acres Government land ,including forest land, whereas 61 persons encroached 42.02 acres of Government land in Pankapal village and 101.99 acres of revenue and forest land has been encroached at Bagagahan by 189 persons for construction of house and agriculture field under Chakada Revenue Circle after getting K-form, stated official sources.
In Ramachandi RI circle,1655.7 acres of forest and Revenue land has been encroached by 137 K-form holders in Kharanashi village, whereas 713 persons encroached 271.36 acres of land in Batighar, 739 persons of Barakolikhola have encroached 391.22 acres of forest and revenue land, 87 persons have encroached 297.39 acres in Nipania, 39 persons encroached 243.83 acres in Sanatubi, 594.45 acres of Government and forest land has been encroached by 217 persons in Badatubi village,
29 persons acquired 373.72 acres in Saralikuda and 32 acres of land was encroached by 24 K-form holders in Kansardia since mid 1970s, stated tehsildar Bhoi.
According to Bhoi, as per the guidelines non-forestry activities cannot be made in forest land as per the guidelines of the Forest Conservation Act.
It has been decided to prepare a consolidation list and later the DFO of Rajnagar and the district Collector would submit a joint consolidation report before the State Government and also before the Ministry of Environment and Forest by urging the authority for
giving green signal to the district administration to legalise the stay of the Bengali people by providing RoR to the people.