BENGALURU: Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Friday issued orders cancelling the 452.5-acre land grant to the Indian Air Force in Jarakabande Kaval in Bengaluru North.
The minister said the land will be transferred to the forest department and protected as a lung space for the city. In the order, Khandre stated that the land has no connection to the defence establishment. Officials have been directed to conduct all the processes under Section 64A of the Karnataka Forest Act. “If any infrastructure development work has to be undertaken in forest areas, applicants have to make an appeal on the Parivesh Portal, seeking permission from the forest department,” he said and directed officials to communicate this to all government agencies and departments.
According to forest officials, this is the second time orders cancelling possession of Jarakabande Kaval reserve forest land has been issued. “Earlier, orders were issued in 2017. Since then the land has not been recovered. In 1987, the then district commissioner had sold the land for Rs 50,000 per acre. But as per forest rules, once a land is notified as forest patch, it cannot be converted and sold or purchased,” an official said.
“All survey numbers in possession with the Indian Air Force are reserve forest land parcels. In the revenue records, it continues to be mentioned as forest land. We have also sought recovery of 194 acres at Peenya plantations forest land and 159 acres at Gantiganahalli reserve forest land where the IAF conducts its air shows. We have written multiple times, but there has been no reply from the defence establishment. We even suggested to them to apply on Parivesh Portal in 2017, but that was also not done,” the official added.