300 acres of encroached land recovered in Karnataka’s Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary
Tumakuru: The Karnataka Forest Department recovered 300 acres of the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary at Tiptur sub division in Sira Taluk, Tumkur district. The restored area, located in Survey No. 46 of Muthugadahalli Ambarpur, was declared as forest land in 1926 under the Forest Rights Act.
According to forest department records, as cited by The New Indian Express on Friday, this marks one of the largest recovery of forest land in recent years.
While 120 acres were recovered just last month from Kadugodi plantation—land reportedly worth over Rs 4,000 crore—this latest exercise in Bukkapatna stands out in scale. However, the record for the largest forest land recovery still remains with 600 acres reclaimed in Kolar in 2013, followed by 355 acres in Mallur in 2014.
V. Yedukondalu, Conservator of Forests, revealed that the land had been illegally granted by revenue officials to villagers over the past 30 years. Although no residential structures were present, agricultural activities such as the cultivation of coconut, cotton, arecanut, cowpea, and other crops had been ongoing for years.
“Following the recently issued Lokayukta directives and Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court orders, we asked the revenue department officials of the division to cancel the illegal records, and 64(A) proceedings were initiated (under Section 64(A) of the Karnataka Forest Act of 1963, and the eviction notice is issued to people illegally occupying land before recovering the land). Documents that we obtained showed that most of the land was illegally occupied, and on Thursday, the entire land parcel was recovered,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Forest department officials mentioned that the exercise of digging pits to lay trenches and undertake plantations suitable for blackbucks has started.
“There are many more land parcels around the forest division that are also being recovered. The exercise has started,” Yedukondalu added.
The sanctuary (also known as the Black Buck Sanctuary) is spread across 36,000 acres and includes three reserve forests. It was notified in 2019 as a measure to protect the chinkaras (Indian gazelle) in their natural habitat of the dry thorny scrub forest, which faced the threat of excessive grazing. Apart from Chinkaras, the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary is home to black bucks, four-horned antelope, sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena, and Indian wolf.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Annamalai left out of BJP’s candidate list for Tamil Nadu polls, party cites High Command decision
Chennai/New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its list of 27 candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, triggering political discussion after the absence of former state president K Annamalai from the roster.
Despite being widely seen as the party’s most prominent face in the state and a key figure in its southern expansion strategy, Annamalai was not fielded in the list. Senior leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore, Vanathi Srinivasan from Coimbatore North, and Union Minister L. Murugan from Avinashi, have been nominated.
Responding to questions on the omission, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran said the decision was taken by the party’s central leadership. He expressed confidence that all 27 candidates would emerge victorious in the polls.
Annamalai, a former IPS officer who joined the BJP in 2020 and rapidly rose to prominence, had earlier been replaced as state chief by Nagendran. Known for his aggressive political style and grassroots outreach, he has been instrumental in amplifying the party’s presence in Tamil Nadu, a state traditionally dominated by Dravidian parties.
In a message posted on X, Annamalai congratulated the candidates and reaffirmed his commitment to the party. He said he would campaign actively for BJP and NDA nominees, expressing confidence in the alliance securing a decisive mandate. He also criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, calling it ineffective and self-serving.
The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Seat-sharing arrangements allocate 169 constituencies to the AIADMK, 27 to the BJP, 18 to the Pattali Makkal Katchi, 11 to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, five to the Tamil Maanila Congress, and one seat each to the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi and Puratchi Bharatham.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23 across all 234 constituencies, with counting scheduled for May 4. The primary contest is expected between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, although actor-turned-politician Vijay is also positioning himself as a potential challenger, raising the possibility of a multi-cornered contest.
#WATCH | Chennai | Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran says, "A list of 27 candidates has been released by the BJP High Command... All the 27 candidates will surely win this time..."
— ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2026
On Annamalai's name not appearing in the recently released list, he says, "This is a… https://t.co/pDd0HodSAW pic.twitter.com/29gkGK9AaP
