BENGALURU: With land becoming a prized possession in Bengaluru, no one wants to part with their property, even if it is a government body. Karnataka’s forest and revenue departments are at daggers drawn over forest pockets, especially in Jakkur, the suburb where not just commercial and residential properties stand, but where many influential individuals, including politicians, own land. The matter has escalated to the high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary. Some of these cases are still being heard in courts.
A senior government official said that according to records presented before the committee by the forest department, there are 35 forest blocks around Bengaluru, comprising Turahalli, Machohalli and Bhootanahalli among others, spread across 11,000 acres of which 600-700 acres have been encroached. Of this land, the revenue department has staked claim over 300 acres.
While the forest department stated that the said lands belonged to them, revenue department officials said that as commercial, industrial and residential buildings have come up on those lands, they cannot be reclaimed. “We have government records which show that the government gave many land parcels to people through the revenue department. Our cases are based on land records and maps of the 1980s, and documentation,” a forest official said.
“We own many land parcels in Jakkur. In most cases, land mutation has happened and the matter needs to be settled legally,” the revenue official stated. In the past three-and-a-half months, the forest department has recovered 120 acres of land in Bhootanahalli reserve forest, 25 acres in Basavantara forest, 17 acres in Machohalli reserve forest, 12 acres in Marasandra reserve forest and five acres in Jakkur.