BENGALURU: With the State Forest Department serving notices to seven farmers stating that they have been cultivating on land that falls under the Soladevanahalli State Reserve Forest area in Nelamangala taluk, more than 90 farmers who will be affected by this order are an agitated lot.
Veteran actress Leelavathi, who owns 7.14 acres of agricultural land in this jurisdiction, told Express that these farmers have been legally working on this land for over two decades now, and possess all relevant land documents. She questioned the government’s attempt to claim it as forest land after all these years of silence. “There are no records to prove that it is a forest land and if it was so, why did the department wake up after so many decades just to slap notices on illiterate, innocent farmers who have been struggling to eke out a living for the past 50 years. This land was given by the then Maharaja of Mysore in 1908 and farmers have been tilling it since. I purchased this land 19 years ago and my son Vinod Raj is growing horticultural crops on it.”
The 80-year-old actress called the farm land “a peaceful retreat” and described the development as “painful”.
Manjunath, another farmer who received the notice, said the farmers have been tilling this land for years and it gives them their bread and butter. “Earlier, this land was completely rocky and barren and we planted thousands of trees to turn this into a green area,” he added.
Leelavathi’s son and actor Vinod Raj said apart from a few farmers who own 10 to 13 acres, the rest are small and marginal farmers growing horticultural crops in Soladevanahalli, Chowdasandra, Goravanahalli and other villages. “Notices were issued only four to five days back saying we have occupied forest land. They have come out with a pre-Independence document (dated 1907) to declare our agricultural land as forest land. A re-survey done in 1972 showed this land as agricultural land. I have been growing coconut, custard apple, papaya and also flowers like bird of paradise, roses (on my land). We sell them in the local market as well as to HOPCOMS outlets. My annual income comes up to a few lakhs. I demand that they do a review and re-survey the land,” he said.
‘FARMERS MUST PROVE OWNERSHIP’
Nelamangala Range Forest Officer Vanitha told Express that the land in question was notified as a state reserve forest area way back in 1907. “We have asked these farmers to prove that it is not a forest land and come out with their details of purchase. A few of them have submitted land records till 1935, but we have asked them for the mother deed. As they have occupied forest land, they have to prove their ownership of the land. In fact, cases were booked against some farmers in 2006-07. We will now be serving notices to the rest of the farmers but how much time this will take, I cannot say,” she said.