The Maharashtra government has announced a major policy initiative to reclaim encroached mangrove and other government land by rehabilitating eligible occupants instead of regularising illegal settlements. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that all people who settled on mangrove land, forest land, CIDCO land and other state or Central government land before January 1, 2011, will be surveyed within the next three months. Eligible occupants will then be considered for rehabilitation under housing schemes such as SRA and MHADA, enabling the government to free and restore environmentally sensitive land.

By the numbers

January 1, 2011: Eligibility cut-off date
3 months: Deadline for survey
4 land categories: Mangrove, forest, CIDCO and other State/Central government land