Kodava Samaja cries foul on forest dept move

Kodava Samaja president Appachettolanda Manu Muttappa urged the forest department to convene a meeting in the Napoklu forest department office instead of Madikeri Aranya Bhavana.

Speaking at a meeting in Napoklu, he said that the forest department has called the meeting to discuss the felling of trees in the land identified for Ambedkar Residential School.

The Government High School is currently situated on 56 acres of land which was donated by Chokira, Kikanda, Bollepanda, Kaleyada, Poravada and Makki Brahmin families of Bethu village 98 years ago, he said.

Today, apart from the high school, a government junior college and degree colleges are also functioning from the donated land. Ambedkar Residential School is proposed to be built at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The forest department officials have convened a meeting to discuss the issue of felling trees on the land, he added.

However, the land has already been encroached upon and no action has been taken by the department concerned, said Manu Muttappa.

Trees were felled in the land belonging to the government college and he alleged that a local Zilla Panchayat member is behind the same.

He further said that only the protective wall of General Thimayya Stadium, belonging to the college has been painted, out of the total fund of Rs 2.50 lakh sanctioned for the maintenance of the ground.

“An inquiry should be initiated against the same”, he said and accused the Zilla Panchayat member of taking one-sided decisions regarding the utilisation of funds on the development works in the college.

School alumni Biddatanda Jinnu Nanaiah condemned the interference by ZP members in college matters. He also warned of initiating a protest against the same.

Ex-servicemen Association vice president Kondira Nanaiah said that a complaint will be submitted to the Lokayukta against the alleged misuse of college development funds.

Kodava Samaja treasurer Apparanda Sudhir Ayyappa, joint secretary Machetira Kushu Kushalappa, director Katumaniyanda Umesh, Gram Panchayat member Kaleyada Saba Timmaiah, Grahakara Sangha president Patrapanda Mohan Muddappa, ZP former member Boppanda Bollamma Nanaiah and others were present.