Forest Department Reclaim 6.5 Acres In Bengaluru City

Bengaluru: Forest officials reclaimed 6.5 acres of encroached land at B.M. Kaval buffer range of Turahalli reserve forest in Bengaluru city and the estimated cost of the recovered land is said to be about Rs 60 crore in the market. Soon, after recovery of its land, forest officials planted bamboo among other saplings. The Turahalli reserve forest has a few deer population and is frequently visited by leopards.

The encroacher identified as Madhusudhananda had constructed a house and a shed besides had grown several hybrid mango trees. The recovery of land from Madhusudhananda is based on the order of Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Court and CCF Lingaraju on December 29 previous year had stated that the land held by Madhusudhananda belonged to the forest department.

Earlier, encroacher Madhusudhananda had moved the CCF Court after the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Court had ordered in August 2017 for eviction of the land encroached upon by Madhusudhananda at B.M. Kaval.

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said in Bengaluru on Wednesday that the encroacher identified as Madhusudhanananda had no records to claim ownership over the land which he had encroached but he had asked forest officials to sanction the land which he had occupied but was denied citing that the land belonged to the department of forests.

He added that the encroacher faced five cases related to land encroachments and stated that forest concerned have been given clear instructions to evict encroached lands over which orders have been passed in Bengaluru city.

The eviction began at 7.30 am which was led by Deputy Conservator of Forests Ravindra Kumar, ACF Suresh and Range Forest Officer Govindaraju.

A forest official told Deccan Chronicle engaged in eviction of encroached land at B.M. Kaval that there are other encroachments cases related to Turahalli reserve forest and are in various stages engaged in a legal battle.