De-reserving 599-acre forest land: Khandre asks Karnataka officials to explain in seven days

Bengaluru: Karnataka's forest officials, including some retirees, are under scrutiny for filing a controversial application in the Supreme Court seeking to de-reserve 599 acres of forest land in Peenya and Jalahalli without approval from the state cabinet.

In a letter dated September 24, Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre demanded a response from the officials concerned within seven days. The letter stated that actions of these officers could result in the loss of forest land, estimated to be worth thousands of crores.

The land in question was designated as Peenya plantation in 1896 through a gazette notification and officially declared a state forest in 1901. Later, the government transferred the land to HMT without altering its status as forest land.

Khandre's letter also questioned the issuance of a No Objection Certificate to HMT, allowing the sale of portions of this land to private and government institutions. "To date, HMT has sold 165 acres for Rs 313.65 crore," the letter revealed.

In 2015, then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Venkata Subbaiah initiated the process of recovering the remaining forest land. According to Khandre, HMT did not challenge the recovery process within the legal timeframe for appeal.

"Despite this reality, some senior forest officials, without the required approvals, have submitted an application to the Supreme Court to de-notify 599 acres of forest land," Khandre said, issuing a seven-day ultimatum.