BENGALURU: The state government filed an Interlocutory Application (IA) before the Supreme Court, seeking to denotify 602 acres in survey number 1 in Gullahatti forest area, Harohalli taluk, in Ramanagara district. The application was filed on July 8, 2024.
The Election Commission has announced bypolls for Channapatna on November 13. It is likely to be a high-profile contest between Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, though the Congress and JDS are yet to declare their candidates.
Sources said top officials in the forest and environment departments were not aware of the IA being filed before the apex court. Documents sourced by The New Indian Express showed that in writ petition (civil) 337/1995, the IA stated that on August 8, 1916, the Maharaja of Mysuru under Section 17 of the Mysore Forest Act of (XI of 1900), had declared 4,779.36 acres as Gullahatti state forest.
The IA was filed for clearance along with the appeal pending before the Supreme Court to denotify forest land in survey numbers 1 and 2 in Peenya-Jalahalli, which is in contention with HMT. The land in contention between the state forest department and HMT is spread across 599 acres.
Documents also showed that on December 3, 2022, the state government had written to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to denotify 500 acres of land in survey number 1 of Doddamannugudde state forest in Channapatna division of Ramanagara district, citing that grants were made by the revenue department for rehabilitation of people.
In January 10, 2023, another appeal was made by the state government seeking concurrence for the de-reservation of the 500 acres in Doddamannugudde.
Forest officials said people have been undertaking agricultural activities in the lands under contention.
“The appeals have been made to woo voters without following due procedure. Ideally, it takes one week as a government order has to be passed and the file then goes to the law department to prepare the IA. Then it comes to the forest department for approval. A litigation officer is appointed who goes through the appeal and then an IA is filed before the SC. In this case, the IA has been filed along with the appeal for hearing of the HMT land,” said a senior official.