Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has instructed the officers of his department not to evict until the process of clearing the applications seeking grant of land under the Forest Rights Act is completed.
In a meeting with officers in Shivamogga on Thursday, the Minister said that a majority of the applications seeking land grants had been rejected. It would be difficult for many applicants to prove their stay in the forest for three generations, or 75 years. “The applicants should get justice on this issue. There is a need for changing the conditions for the land grant,” he said.
The tribal people, who resided in the forest areas before December 13, 2005, should get relief under the act. Similarly, those people who belonged to other backward classes should also get justice, if they had been staying in the forest, he said.
Regarding the grant of land to those displaced due to the Sharavathi Project, the Minister said that the State Government was committed to providing them relief. The State government had filed an interlocutory application with the Supreme Court. “I am hopeful of getting justice this time,” the Minister said.
On the issue of encroachment of forest land, the Minister said that the officers would book cases against the fresh encroachers. “The officers will book criminal cases against such people. Unless we conserve forests, we cannot survive,” he said.
Further, the Minister said the department would issue appointment orders to 850 candidates selected for the posts of forest guards.
Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa, who is also Minister in charge of the district, MP B.Y. Raghavendra, legislators Sharada Puryanaik, S.N. Channabasappa, Araga Jnanendra, Dhananjay Sarji, Additional Chief Secretary Manjunath Prasad, PCCF Brijesh Kumar Dikshit, and other officers were present at the meeting.
Eom/ photos available
