The policy decision has been described as a form of “land grab” because leased-out forest land would exclude forest-dependent communities from accessing traditional lands and collecting minor produce. Critics question the logic of using degraded forest land, already owned by the Forest Department, to achieve the national goal of 33 per cent forest cover. The India State of the Forests Report 2023 puts the total forest cover at 21.76 per cent of the country’s geographical area. The ministry notified the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in April 2004 for managing the afforestation funds. “In India, wide parcels of savannah and natural grasslands have historically been misclassified as degraded forest land.

Source: The Hindu January 20, 2026 13:30 UTC