BENGALURU: The Upa Lokayuktas registered 31 suo motu complaints to check how forests are being protected in all districts of the state. All the complaints were registered against the assistant conservators of forests (ACFs) and range forest officers (RFOs).
The two Upa Lokayuktas, Justices KN Phaneendra and B Veerappa, said the complaints were filed as a stringent measure to protect the neglected territorial, social and wildlife forests by the state.
They shot off 19 questions to forest officials, and of them, two most prominent are: How many stone quarrying, sand mining and stone crushers are operating illegally in your taluk? What is the extent of the deemed and reserved forest taken into possession of the forest department after obtaining the sketch from the revenue department?
Tracing the notification dated May 5, 2022, attached to the affidavit submitted by the state government to the Supreme Court in the Godavarman case, declaring 3,30,186-93 hectares deemed forest for preservation and development, the two Upa Lokayuktas have extracted district-wise data of deemed forests in the order passed to register suo motu complaints, which considered deemed forests.
The authorities of the territorial, social and wildlife forestry are directed to furnish the following details pertaining to the last three years.
The details to be submitted are the total extent of natural regeneration of the forest, estimation, technical sanction, administrative or financial approval for plantation of saplings, and total budget approved for natural regeneration, and many more. ACFs and RFOs have been told to submit details by November 25.