<p>Bengaluru: Over seven years after the Karnataka government ordered recovery of about 450 acres of forest land in Peenya Plantation and Jarakabande Kaval "illegally" granted to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/indian-air-force">Indian Air Force</a> (IAF), Forest Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/eshwar-khandre">Eshwar Khandre</a> has sought action in the matter.</p><p>Khandre's move comes days after forest officials on March 1 were alerted to a construction activity being taken up in the land notified as reserved forest. </p><p>Noting that the land in question has been allocated to IAF against the law, he told the forest department to write to the IAF to seek diversion of forest land as per the law.</p><p>"The land has been mutated as reserved forest 2017. The RTC reflects it as a reserved forest. This should be brought to the notice of the IAF. Of the 444 acres, the IAF has formed a shooting range in 15 acre and built office buildings. The rest of the land should be recovered from the IAF immediately. The IAF should be told to get forest clearance for the land in use," he said in a statement released to the media.</p><p>The land was notified as forest in 1932 and had to be protected as a reserved forest after the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. However, the state government sanctioned a total of 570 acre 18 gunta on April 18, 1987 with Rs 50,000 per acre. This included 452 acre and 4.5 gunta of reserved forest which was part of the Peenya Plantation and Jarakabande Kaval.</p>.Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre hits back at H D Kumaraswamy over KIOCL comments.<p>However, the officials failed to take the prior clearance of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which meant the sanction violated the Forest (Conservation) Act. </p><p>The issue was red flagged by Comptroller and Auditor General in its report for 2014 and was discussed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state legislature. The committee sent a notice to the Defence Department.</p><p>In reply, the Defence Estate Officer, Air Force Station, Karnataka Circle had in a letter dated October 7, 2017 stated that the land in question was in use by the air force since 1941-42. The letter stated that the department has paid only a part of the Rs 50,000 per acre prescribed by the revenue department.</p><p>In its order dated October 9, 2017, the state government cancelled the 1987 order for grant of forest land to the IAF. The new order directed revenue land in various survey numbers totalling up at 118 acre and 13.5 gunta be given to the IAF against the payment received by the Defence Department.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Over seven years after the Karnataka government ordered recovery of about 450 acres of forest land in Peenya Plantation and Jarakabande Kaval "illegally" granted to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/indian-air-force">Indian Air Force</a> (IAF), Forest Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/eshwar-khandre">Eshwar Khandre</a> has sought action in the matter.</p><p>Khandre's move comes days after forest officials on March 1 were alerted to a construction activity being taken up in the land notified as reserved forest. </p><p>Noting that the land in question has been allocated to IAF against the law, he told the forest department to write to the IAF to seek diversion of forest land as per the law.</p><p>"The land has been mutated as reserved forest 2017. The RTC reflects it as a reserved forest. This should be brought to the notice of the IAF. Of the 444 acres, the IAF has formed a shooting range in 15 acre and built office buildings. The rest of the land should be recovered from the IAF immediately. The IAF should be told to get forest clearance for the land in use," he said in a statement released to the media.</p><p>The land was notified as forest in 1932 and had to be protected as a reserved forest after the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. However, the state government sanctioned a total of 570 acre 18 gunta on April 18, 1987 with Rs 50,000 per acre. This included 452 acre and 4.5 gunta of reserved forest which was part of the Peenya Plantation and Jarakabande Kaval.</p>.Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre hits back at H D Kumaraswamy over KIOCL comments.<p>However, the officials failed to take the prior clearance of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which meant the sanction violated the Forest (Conservation) Act. </p><p>The issue was red flagged by Comptroller and Auditor General in its report for 2014 and was discussed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state legislature. The committee sent a notice to the Defence Department.</p><p>In reply, the Defence Estate Officer, Air Force Station, Karnataka Circle had in a letter dated October 7, 2017 stated that the land in question was in use by the air force since 1941-42. The letter stated that the department has paid only a part of the Rs 50,000 per acre prescribed by the revenue department.</p><p>In its order dated October 9, 2017, the state government cancelled the 1987 order for grant of forest land to the IAF. The new order directed revenue land in various survey numbers totalling up at 118 acre and 13.5 gunta be given to the IAF against the payment received by the Defence Department.</p>