Felling of trees: Nanaiah demands high-level probe

Former minister M C Nanaiah has urged the government to announce an ACB or Lokayukta probe into the felling of over 800 trees at K Nidugani village near Madikeri.

In a letter to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, he demanded a probe by investigative agencies to bring out the truth in the felling of trees.

At the outset, it looks like there was a huge corruption from the Revenue Department officials to VA to the assistant commissioner by violating Sections 79 (A) and 79 (B) of Karnataka Land Reforms Act, he said.

As per a 1992 high court judgement, a tahsildar should verify whether farmland, Bane, Sagubane, Jamma Bane land is used for farming or other purposes. In case the land was agricultural land, then the tahsildar should recommend to the assistant commissioner on converting it to revenue land. Even the assistant commissioner should reconfirm whether the said land was agricultural land before accepting the recommendations of the tahsildar, explained the former minister.

The 57.75 acres of land which was in the possession of Karnataka Housing Board was not under agricultural land. However, officials from the lowest level to AC had created false documents to claim that it was agricultural land and illegally converted to revenue land. The chief minister should consider the issue seriously and order a high-level probe, appealed Nanaiah in a letter.