Rana George’s ‘wrong’ precedent at Nugu worries forest department

Rana George, son of former minister K J George and former member of the state wildlife board, has put the forest department in a spot by taking own vehicles inside the fragile Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), on the pretext of accessing his private land.

Villagers in the vicinity of the sanctuary and tribals living in areas inside and outside the protected areas have been routinely rehabilitated by the government to create a safe environment for the wildlife.

Rana, however, has bought 12 acres and 39 guntas of land in Lakkasoge village of Sargur taluk.

The land not only borders the sanctuary, but has no road access except through the WLS for nearly 6 months in a year as the water from the Birval dam submerges the road.

Replying to a notice by the range forest officer in Nugu, Rana has cited Section 27 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, that allows people who have immovable property in the sanctuary "within the limits" of the sanctuary to enter the WLS.

Officials in the forest department said they were facing pressure from two sides for allowing Rana to enter the WLS.

"On the one hand, the villagers in the area fight with us for not allowing cattle grazing in the sanctuary. On the other, we are facing a bigger problem of others buying revenue land in the vicinity," an official said.

Following leads that many were trying to acquire revenue land in the area, the forest department has written to the revenue authorities not to provide khatas in four villages: Shambhugowdanahalli, Lakkasoge, Basapura and Muttige Chikkatolalu.

Rana bought the land in 2011, nearly 40 years after the area was declared WLS in June 1972.

"His property borders both the sanctuary and the backwaters. Since acquiring it, he has built two structures. The forest officials restrict villagers from growing vegetables in the area. How can they allow large-scale construction," activist Joseph Hoover of the United Conservation Movement asked.

Hoover suggested that Rana should voluntarily give up the title of the land to support wildlife.

"Being a former member of the state wildlife board, it behoves him to give up the land adjacent to a sensitive area like Nugu WLS. Three tiger cubs have died in the Nugu range last year," he said.

Rana George was not available for comment.