Deputy Commissioner M K Srirangaiah said that the officials of the Forest Department should complete the D-lining (demarcation of reserve forest and other land) work by December 31.
An affidavit needs to be submitted to the Supreme Court in this regard, said the officer.
He was speaking at a meeting organised to discuss the clearing of 15 acres of coffee and pepper plantation belonging to B S Narayana Gowda in Mudigere.
"After demarcation of the reserve forest land, a compliance report needs to be submitted to the Supreme Court. In case the D-lining area has crops (coffee, pepper), then growers should be allowed to harvest the crop. We do not wish to harm the growers," Srirangaiah said.
'Crops cleared'
Narayana Gowda accused the Forest Department officials of themselves clearing the crops in the early hours of Monday."
The Forest Department officials, however, claim that the land referred to belongs to the Forest Department according to an order of 1962.
"The officials should provide me the copy of the order. I have a document to prove that the said land is a revenue land. I will question the move of the department in the High Court," challenged Narayana Gowda.
Forest officer Thakathsingh Ranavath said, "We did not wish to harm the growers. However, we had to complete the process of demarcating the reserve forest land by December 31 and the drive to clear the land was initiated after issuing a notice."
Appeal
MLA B B Ningaiah, KGF president B S Jairam submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner to help Narayana Gowda. The memorandum supported the farmer's argument that the Forest Department officials had cleared crops cultivated on 15-acre land. "They did not allow him to harvest the crops. As a result, Gowda has incurred a loss of Rs 30 lakh," they added, in the memorandum.
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