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The state government and the forest department have admitted that changing the status of forest land from Class-II to Class-I in villages near Chikhaldara hill station sale deeds is illegal, violating the Forest Conservation Act 1980. The Maharashtra government, forest department, and Melghat Tiger Reserve鈥檚 (MTR) administration come on an affidavit, filed before the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court. It was filed after CEC issued a notification on a petition filed by Akot wildlife activist Vijay Chauhan. He challenged the Amravati district collector of converting the occupancy of forest land from Class-II land to Class-I in five villages near Chikhaldara. According to a report, the collector issued the order, changing Class-II land to Class-I in five villages, including Shahapur, Lawanda, Aladoh, Motha, and Merki, paving the way for the sale of forest lands near the hill station. According to the forest department, these villages were declared as reserve forests. However, some areas of these villages were temporarily de-reserved in 1969-70 to facilitate the process of conversion of forest villages into revenue villages. The forest land was unsurveyed and provisional notifications for de-reservation were issued between 1969 to 1970. After conducting the final survey, the areas were handed over to the revenue department with the terms and conditions that the land belonged to occupancy Class II land and was restricted to transfer. The responsibility and duty lay on the landowners to work as labourers in forestry operation activities and protection. Image Source Also read: Centre proposes simpler clearance process for forest land use