Karnataka HC stays construction of stadium on forest land

The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed the construction of a sports stadium on an alleged forest land at Gunjur village in Vartur hobli, Bengaluru. A PIL contended that the state government is going ahead with the project despite the objections placed by the forest department.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka was hearing the PIL filed by T Narasimhamurthy, a resident of Old Madras Road. The land in question is an extent of 27.08 acres in survey number 104 of Gunjur village of Bengaluru East taluk.

The petitioner submitted a report by the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) addressed to the Deputy Commissioner (Bengaluru Urban) on January 14, 2020, in which the officer reportedly explained the difficulties in protecting the forest land due to undue influence of the administration and politicians.

The petition quoted the DCF’s report as saying the land granted by the state government is a deemed forest. However, revenue officials cleared the grant of land based on the entries in the Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC) that reflects the land as revenue land.

The petitioner contended that authorities cannot allow non-forest activities in the forest land merely on an RTC entry. Pointing to the DCF’s report, the petition claimed that the forest department had been requesting the revenue officials to correct the entry in the RTC.

'Lax local police'

According to the petitioner, the DCF also stated in the report that the local police also did not help the department in protecting the forest land.

The petition sought interim relief to stay the construction of the sports stadium in the wake of the deputy commissioner not acting upon the report filed by the DCF.

The bench issued notices to the respondents.

“In view of the stand taken by the Deputy Conservator of Forests on January 14, 2020, we direct that no construction shall be commenced on the land subject matter of the petition,” the bench said.