HMT land does not belong to Centre, it is the property of 7 crore Kannadigas: Khandre

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court has said that “Once A Forest, Always A Forest Unless De-Notified” i.e. the land once notified as a forest will always remain a forest unless it is de-notified for non-forest purposes. Thus Forest, Biology and Environment Minister Ishwara B Khandre clarified that the the non-denotified HMT land is still the property of the Forest Department.

Reacting sharply to BJP spokesperson NR Ramesh’s statement that ‘HMT land belongs to central government, the forest minister should express his opinion only after studying the entire document’, Khandre said BJP’s statement is reprehensible. There is no breathing space in North Bengaluru. He said that this place is the breathing place of the people of that area. As it is not denotified, it is not possible to claim the land given to the Sharavati flood victims. Similarly, he questioned how HMT gets the right over 599 acres of land in Peenya-Jalahalli Plantation Survey No. 1 and 2, which is not denotified.

‘Environment is more important than civil rights. Civil rights are subordinate to the environment’ Supreme Court opined that environmental right is superior to any other civil right. HMT has sold thousands of crores worth of forest land in its possession for hundreds of crores. He questioned the BJP whether more land should be given at a nominal rate.

In Peenya- Jalahalli (HMT land) there is still dense forest in an area of about 285 acres. It is filled with lush greenery. When they went to inspect the site last week, there was a herd of rabbits, peacocks and parrots in this densely forested area. This land which is like a thick forest will be taken back by the forest department and a botanical garden will be developed here like Lalbagh. It is the breathing space of North Bengaluru and not the property of the central government.

Eshwara Khandre said that the people of North Bengaluru will give a suitable answer to this. The BJP should first understand that it is illegal for the then Bengaluru City Collector to purchase and lease the central public sector undertaking HMT without any gazette notification, cabinet approval or denotification. He warned that no one should support the transfer of the precious wealth of the state to real estate.

HMT has already sold 165 acres of land for Rs 300 crore to several people including private individuals. As early as 2015, a forest officer has conducted a process under Karnataka Forest Act 1963 R 64 A. He asked what else is this other than forest. Now after 5 decades, some officials of the forest department have filed an application in the Supreme Court that this area has lost its forest status, without even drawing the attention of the Minister and the Cabinet. I have asked the authorities to ask the reason and give a notice. If it is not a forest then why there was a need to put IA, NR Ramesh should read the forest act and then speak, his statement is condemnable. Satyameva Jayate, he retorted.