In a curious turn of events, the Forest Department official, who recommended action against the Revenue Department official for sanctioning land in the buffer zone of Turahalli forest for the Vishnuvardhan memorial, has withdrawn the letter.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Land Records) Hari Kumar Jha had written to the Chief Conservator of Forest recommending action. He confirmed to The Hindu about having withdrawn the letter that he wrote on December 27. “I withdrew the letter as the government has resolved the issue,” he said, justifying his action.
Around two acres of land in the buffer zone has been sanctioned by the Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru (Urban), for the memorial.
Mr. Jha also told The Hindu that the forest department did not have any provision to initiate action against the Deputy Commissioner, nor did it have any power to act against “encroachers” in the buffer zone, which is 100 metres around the forest.
Meanwhile, residents of Mylasandra village, abutting the forest, are a displeased lot. They had recently cleared several trees in a part of the buffer zone, much to the chagrin of forest officials.
The Forest Department filed a case against them under Section 24 of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, and Section 8 of Karnataka Tree Protection Act, 1976. They residents are questioning why no action has been initiated against the Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru (Urban), who allotted the land and cleared around two acres for the ground breaking ceremony in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah participated.
Muniraju, a resident of Mylasandra, alleged that the villagers are being “framed” for a ‘crime’ committed by the district administration. “We only cleared a plot of land that had been earmarked for public purpose. Only shrubs were removed. However, the district administration had cut down numerous trees for the memorial. What kind of justice is this?”
Meanwhile, the High Court of Karnataka, which is hearing a Public Interest Litigation questioning the sanction of land for the memorial, has issued a stay order.
