Bhatkal: Alleging procedural lapses in the ongoing verification of forest land rights claims, a group of activists has said it will approach the State-level Monitoring Committee against what it termed as deviations in the “mahazar” (spot inspection) process under the Forest Rights Act.

Ravindra Naik, president of the State Forest Land Rights Activists’ Forum, raised the concerns after visiting multiple sites in Bhatkal taluk where officials are conducting field verifications of claims, particularly those earlier rejected due to lack of documentary evidence.

He said the State Monitoring Committee had, on January 6, directed district authorities to undertake mahazar inspections through a higher-level committee and treat such reports as supporting evidence for claimants lacking formal records. However, Naik alleged that officials on the ground are not adhering to the spirit of these directions.

“Key aspects such as evidence of cultivation and relevant contextual records are being overlooked, while undue emphasis is being placed on re-evaluating the merit of individual applications,” he said.

The activists also contended that the current process largely records limited individual details and fails to adequately document broader indicators such as habitation patterns of forest dwellers and the existence of settlements, which are crucial under the Forest Rights Act.

Naik further alleged that restrictions on considering more than one application per family are contrary to the provisions of the law. He also claimed that, instead of relying on mahazar findings, authorities are collecting data based on parameters such as landholding and economic output, which he described as a violation of prescribed norms.

Stating that these practices amount to irregularities at the district level, Naik said a formal objection would be submitted to the State Monitoring Committee seeking corrective measures.

Several activists, including Panduranga Naik, Chandra Naik, Narayana Shirajimane, Padmavathi Venkatesh, Madevi Naik and Subraya Naik, were present during the site visits.

Naik, who has been associated with forest rights issues for over three decades, was also felicitated by fellow activists during the programme.