Khandre orders officials to recover land ‘given’ to KPCL

Bengaluru: Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered officials to look into the growing encroachments on more than 10,000 acres of land allotted to Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), without following the due procedure.

Based on the documents obtained under Right to Information Act, activist Girish Achar had said that in 1984, the assistant commissioner had ordered allotment of 10,377 acres of forest land in Sagar and Hosanagar taluks of Shivamogga district to the KPCL.

However, no clearance was taken under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for the diversion of the forest land, including 2,144 acres of land belonging to Kargal wildlife division.

On August 18 this year, DH had reported on Achar’s complaint, including the increasing number of encroachments on the land allotted to the KPCL even as the revenue authorities had failed to restore the land’s status as forest.

In a letter dated September 19, Khandre directed the additional chief secretary of the department to take steps as per the law and file an application before the assistant commissioner’s court to expedite mutation of the land.

“Restoring the land illegally given to the KPCL as forest will increase the green cover of the area and reduce encroachments,” the minister said, citing the DH report.