BENGALURU: Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Friday said he has recommended the suspension of two serving Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers and action against two retired officers for converting and diverting forest land for non-forest purposes. This pertains to 433 acres of land handed over to HMT in Peenya. Of this, 160 acres was sold to various organisations.
Khandre told the media that the land is being utilised for various purposes, including shooting of serials and movies. Many residential and commercial spaces too have come up.
Khandre said seven notices were served to the officials, but there has been no reply. The officers were asked how the land was denotified without the cabinet approval. He was also concerned why other officials did not bring it to the notice of the forest minister earlier.
On Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R Gokul approaching the CBI seeking protection and complaining of being victimised, Khandre termed the allegations baseless. He asked why it was not brought before the chief minister. This is misconduct by government officers and a threat tactic, he said.
He said that on September 24, 2024, a letter was sent to the additional chief secretary to serve a show-cause notice to the officers for filing an interlocutory application (IA) before the Supreme Court with false information against the government.
Based on the appeal, the court had stated that the land had lost its forest characteristics. But that is not the case, Khandre said, and added that there are plantations in over 280 acres of land. A high-level committee was formed in 2015 to discuss and recommend to the state government on issues pertaining to forest land.
The land in contention was diverted without bringing it to the knowledge of the committee and a petition was filed in the Supreme Court on June 20, 2020 to denotify the land. On July 15, 2020, at a meeting by the additional chief secretary of forest, environment and ecology department, a proposal was submitted to the cabinet to denotify the land. But no permission was taken. That is the reason the notices were served, he added.
“The suspension of serving officials and the action against retired officials have been brought to the notice of the chief minister. The government has now appealed to the Supreme Court to withdraw the IA and reclaim HMT land,” he said.