The Forest department on Monday recovered 64 acres and 23 guntas of land alleged to have been encroached upon by K R Ramesh Kumar, former Speaker of the Assembly, at Jinagalagunte forest of Srinivaspur taluk.
A team of the Forest department officials visited the spot in the afternoon, put up red flags around the land seized and installed boards declaring that the land belonged to them. The Forest department had asked the former Speaker to vacate the land by April 30. Since Kumar failed to oblige, the department recovered the land.
District Forest Officer Munegowda said it was only a token step and that the land - where cultivation has been taken up illegally - would be seized permanently after further orders.
ACF Puttanna, DySP Govindaiah, Circle Inspector K Lingaiah and others were present.
Published 30 April 2012, 18:47 IST