The forest department's dismal performance is in sharp contrast to the signal service rendered by a voluntary organisation, the Radhasoami Satsang. The people in the forest villages here had been settled by the British at the turn of the century to work on felling trees. They were allowed to cultivate some land in the monsoons when felling activities are in abeyance. Over the years the working plan was changed from clear-felling to reserve, or selective felling of trees with a girth greater than 90 cm. Thus the amount of work available has dwindled while population has increased.

After 1947, the MPFD converted 1/3rd of their agricultural lands into reserved forests. R K Dikshit, former ranger, Rahatgaon Range, said he had surveyed the cultivators in 1988 and forwarded a list for the issuance of pattas. Nothing has come of it. D S Thakur, the present ranger says, "The Central government has to decide on the matter." Yet, all over the state, people cultivating land prior to October 10, 1980 have been given pattas. In Rahatgaon range itself, Rajaborari's cultivators have been given pattas.

In the middle of the forest, 3200 ha has been leased by the government to the Radhasoami Satsangh of Agra's former princely state of Rajaborari. The Satsangh had bought this land from an Englishman in 1919. The 500 odd families in the 12 hamlets hold titles as tenants of the Rajaborari estate.

The Satsangh has its own forest staff headed by a ranger, Saxena. The Satsangh earns Rs 45 lakhs annually by felling timber, which is sold by the forest department. Most of the money is spent in running 5 primary schools, a high-school, a primary health centre, a handicrafts training and production centre, and on improving the agricultural infrastructure. Small loans are advanced to the villagers. The staff is mostly local and there are no religious compulsions. For years now, the Satsangh has been ploughing back its earnings into the development of the area.

The results are there for all to see. Even people of the nearby forest villages, Kairi and Unchaborari, have benefitted and made tremendous developments in agriculture on their own.