JOIN USThe forest department officials cleared a 15-acre coffee plantation cultivated on encroached land at Basani in Aldoor range forest jurisdiction on Monday.
Narayana Gowda had cultivated coffee on a 15 acre land on survey number 169 p 2 at Basani village. The officials cleared the standing coffee and pepper crops.
Narayana Gowda said, "without showing the court order, the officials have cleared the crops at 5 am, which is an unpardonable offence."
Over 100 staff from the forest department carried out the drive for four hours. Condemning the clearing of the land, hundreds of growers staged a protest in front of the forest department office.
Addressing the protesters, MLC Motamma said that the officials have behaved in an inhuman manner. Crops worth lakhs of rupees were cleared without allowing the owners to harvest. The grower has incurred a huge loss.
MLC M K Pranesh said, "the officials have not informed the grower on the eviction drive."
Enraged over the incident, the growers attempted to forcibly enter the forest department office. The police prevented them from entering the office. In the melee, a door of the office was damaged. The protesters later hurled stones at the office, resulting in damage to window panes.