HMT land-grab: SPS seeks CBI probe

Alleging that several politicians, in connivance with the real estate mafia, had grabbed around 200 acres of reserve forest land allotted to Hindustan Machine Tools Limited (HMT) in Bengaluru, the Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS) has appealed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the issue.

SPS president, S.R. Hiremath, told presspersons here recently that HMT, a public sector undertaking, was granted an area of around 443 acres and six guntas of reserve forest land out of the total 599 acres in ‘Peenya Plantation’ village in Bengaluru North taluk of Bengaluru district for the purpose of establishing the industry.

“However, over 200 acres of the reserve forest land has been sold by HMT to many private developers who are known for their political connections, in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980,” he alleged.

Eviction order

He said that the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Vigilance), Chukkapalli Venkatasubbaiah, had passed an order on August 28, 2015, under powers vested under provisions of Sections 76 and 64A of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, read with rule 69 of the Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969, and among statutory provisions, on summarily evicting a private company from the schedule lands in survey no. 1 in “Peenya Plantation” village, Yeshwantpura-1 Hobli, Bengaluru North Taluk, Bengaluru District and survey no. 19 in ‘Jarakbandekaval’ village, Yelahanka-3 hobli, Yelahanka Taluk, Bengaluru District.

Mr. Hiremath said that other companies and entities too had purchased the reserve forest lands with the connivance of politicians and government officials.

“It is a fit case for the CBI, given the fact that a public sector undertaking is involved,” he said adding that when a public sector undertaking was involved, the CBI could be approached directly as per the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.

To a query, he said that SPS would soon be filing a comprehensive interlocutory application on the issue of grabbing 5,000 acres of forest land.