BENGALURU:An inquiry conducted by the Upa Lokayukta has revealed that 733 acres of Biligiri Ranga Tiger Reserve spread across 22,611 acres has been occupied illegally. It includes the resorts constructed, coffee estates developed and land granted in favour of some persons in the reserve forest.Holding an inquiry into a complaint filed in 2003, Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi submitted the report to the state government to take immediate steps to remove the encroachments inside the reserve and restore the entire forest areas and inform the action taken on this within a month.
“Neither the forest department nor the revenue department are interested in protecting the forest. What appears from the series of correspondence with the revenue department, the revenue department is in hurry to divert the forest land for revenue purpose and reduced the forest area causing perpetual injury to the nature and the wildlife and the environment. This reduction of forest has resulted in several wildlife species entering into urban area in search of food”, the report said.
“..Not only illegal cultivation is going on in the reserve forest, but some of the forest area is used for construction of resorts for luxury enjoyment at the cost of wild life. There are some coffee estates developed. These all show that, this will not be possible without the connivance of the revenue as well as the forest department officials. Hence, it is high time for the government to take action to protect the reserve forest from the clutches of land grabbers, illegal occupants, as early as possible,” the report said.
According to the report, the tiger reserve area is notified with an intention to create natural habitation for the wildlife. As there is no provision in any law for diversion of reserve forest, it is the duty of the state as an authority to protect the forest, but in this complaint, the state itself is indulging in reducing the forest by diverting the same without any authority much less due process of law.
“Neither in the name of social justice not for any other reason, it is impermissible to deforest and such act would be considered as unconstitutional. Hence, state being custodian of forest in public trust is bound to protect the same,” Upa Lokayukta said in the report.
UNAUTHORISED CULTIVATION
Though 544 acres of land has been released by the forest department to the revenue department, but total land granted under ‘darkhast’ as well as unauthorised cultivation is 733.14 acres. There is only mention of release of 130 acres from notified forest area under the gazette notification dated September 21, 1942. Except this, there is no other transfer or grant of 425 acres by the forest department to the revenue department.