The Supreme Court of India has directed all States and Union Territories to return forest land currently under the control of their Revenue departments to the respective Forest departments within three months. The order comes amid allegations of misuse and illegal allotment of forest lands for non-forest activities.

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• Supreme Court orders all forest land with Revenue departments be returned to Forest departments
• Possession transfer to be completed within 3 months
• Chief Secretaries and UT Administrators must form SITs to investigate misuse/allotments
• Focus on land allotted to private parties for non-forest purposes
• If repossession not possible, cost recovery mandated for afforestation
• All recovered funds to be used for restoration and conservation
• Special Teams to be formed to oversee land transfer within one year
• Land use restricted to afforestation only
• Verdict passed by CJI BR Gavai, Justices Masih and Chandran
• Writ petition alleged nexus between politicians, builders, and bureaucrats for forest land misuse