BENGALURU : Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday said around 5,000 acres of forest land worth over Rs 2,000 crore has been encroached in the state, most of it in Kodagu.
A forest department audit report stated that the encroachments are on leased lands and property owners, not wanting to return them, have approached courts. “One of the encroachers is Tata Coffee. The forest lands were handed over to private companies by the British on 99-year lease in Virajpet in Kodagu and Chamarajanagar. But now they are refusing to hand the land and have claimed ownership. Thomson Rubber had pledged its land for a bank loan and the bank has put it up for auction,” he said.
As per records, the department has to recover 1,074 acres worth Rs 454 crore from Markara Rubber Ltd, 625 acres worth Rs 91.29 crore (in 2015) from Thomson Rubber, 713 acres worth Rs 130.22 crore from Nilambur Rubber, 1,288 acres worth Rs 536.66 crore (till 2022) by Portland Rubber Estate, 943 acres from Glen Lauren Plantation and Tata Coffee worth Rs 524 crore and land worth Rs 25.36 crore from Honnamatti Nilgiri Plantation in Chamarajanagar, he added.
“According to the audit report, the department has to get Rs 1,601 crore from encroachers as penalties in Virajpet alone. To recover the land and penalties, a special team comprising the principal chief conservator of forests and Environment Department Secretary BP Ravi has been formed. Senior counsel are being hired to settle cases pending at various courts within six months to one year,” he said. The lease then granted was for Rs 2 per acre and it was increased to Rs 7. In 1997, when it was enhanced to Rs 5,000 per hectare, many firms challenged it in court and have not paid the amounts since then, he said.
On JDS state president Kumaraswamy’s comments on the case involving Vikram Simha, brother of BJP MP Pratap Simha, Khandre said, “If he has any documents, he should give it to us (department). Action will be taken against all those involved. The Hassan DCF has been suspended. Cases have been booked against the tahsildar and divisional officer. The the list of accused is only increasing. Action has also been taken against officials involved in forest land conversion in Hassan, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Kadur.”