Minister Khandre orders for confiscation of forest land of Kottanur

Bengaluru: The Minister of Forests, Ecology and Environment Eshwara B Khandre has instructed to start the process for repossession of 22 acres 8 gunta land entrusted to the Forest Department in Survey No. 48 of Kottanur, K R Puram Hobli, East Taluk, Bengaluru. In order to increase the green cover in Bangalore city in the year 1999-2000 in survey no 48 of Kottanur village, this land was assigned to the forest department for developing a plantation in 22.08 acres of land. But the minister has expressed displeasure with the former officers of the department who have failed to take over this land and cultivate forests. It is entered in the Pahani (RTC) that out of the 22.08 acres of land allotted to the Forest Department, 13 acres of land has been entrusted to the Forest Department as per the order of the then Bangalore City District Collector Order No. R.H.S.(2) 44/82-83 dt 25 January 2000. EshwarKhandre has also issued a note instructing the officials to get the map of this land and prepare the documents of the remaining 9 acres and to start the 64(A) process to get the land worth about Rs 700 crores in the possession of the forest department.

After becoming the Forest Minister, EshwarKhandre reclaimed the encroached 17 acre 34 gunta land allotted to the forest department in Survey No. 47 of Kottanur village in 2006 and laid the foundation stone for building a botanical garden and bird sanctuary here.

After 17 years, this land allotted to the Forest Department was unilaterally changed to ‘Government land’ by the then Deputy Divisional Officer MG Shivanna and Tehsildar Ajit Rai in January 2023. He tried to help those who encroached on forest land.

He ordered a criminal case against the then Assistant Commissioner and Tehsildar for illegally converting forest land into revenue. A case has been registered against two senior KAS officers under the Forest Protection Act, 1980.