BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy during the discussion on matters of urgent public importance on Tuesday, protested the alleged demolition and eviction of Dalits from the 711-acre (Survey number 1) Kadugodi Plantation, Bidarahalli hobli, Bengaluru East.
“The land was sanctioned to local farmers in the 1950s and distributed among Dalits and other marginalised farmers. In its recent eviction, the forest department has razed small homes.
Why weren’t the offices, industries and other constructions by big builders in the land left untouched,” Chalavadi questioned. Responding, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said it was forest land and there was unauthorised occupation of over 120 acres, with some attempting to sell plots illegally. The forest department reclaimed it.
Highlighting a Supreme Court directive, Khandre stated the House that in the ‘Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crop Information’ (RTC), the land is mentioned as ‘forest land’.