Chikkamagaluru: Forest department issues notice to clear unauthorized resorts, homestays
Chikkamagaluru: In the wake of Wayanad landslides, State government has ordered for the clearing of encroachments in the ecologically sensitive areas along the Western Ghats and Malenadu on Tuesday. Following this, the forest department has cleared encroachments in cases that has been already settled at the courts and the department is gearing up for more clearance.
Forest department has also issued clearance notices to unauthorized resorts and home-stays which are situated in ecologically sensitive areas and forest land. Based on the orders of the Minister for Forest and Ecology Eshwar Khandre's orders, District Forest Officer (DFO) Ramesh Babu has issued notices to more than 25 home-stays and resorts in Chikkamagaluru sub division and has demanded them to submit the revenue and other related documents authorizing their construction.
Along with unauthorized resorts and homestays, Forest department has also decided to clear residential layouts and plantations in encroached forest land. The department has also asked the unauthorized establishments, including estates and plantations, in Chikkamagaluru notified forest lands to immediately submit their revenue documents.
Malenadu region of Chikkamagaluru, nestled amidst the Western Ghats mountain range, attract thousands of tourist everyday which fuel the ever growing tourism industry in the coffee-land. Home-stays and resorts have come in almost all remote regions of the district to provide basic amenities to the visitors. Amidst all the authorized tourist establishments, many unpermitted resorts and home-stays also function, adding to the ever increasing nature-tourism menace. Environmentalists have repeatedly raised alarm against such tourist abodes. Wayanad and Ankola landslides have added impetus to the state's anti-encroachment drive in Western Ghats, a globally recognized biological hotspot.
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Maharashtra Congress chief Patole meets Kharge, dismisses resignation talk as 'rumours'
New Delhi, Nov 25: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday dismissed as "rumours" talk of his resignation following the assembly polls debacle and stressed on "collective accountability" for the defeat.
Patole made the remarks after meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during which he conveyed that the result had not reflected the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.
"Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other national and state leaders were leading Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from the forefront during the assembly polls. So, we were sure that the trends were in favour of Maha Vikas Aghadi, even the citizens believed that," the Maharashtra Congress chief said.
"If I talk about Nanded, the Lok Sabha bypolls and assembly elections were held on the same day. In Lok Sabha bypolls, our candidate was winning in six assembly seats, whereas, in the assembly elections, we are not winning even a single seat," he said, adding that there cannot be such a "huge difference".
This is the sentiment among the people also and they have stated that this government in Maharashtra was not being formed on their votes, he claimed.
"So, I spoke to Mallikarjun Kharge on this," he added.
Asked whether he had offered to resign or the party had asked for his resignation after the Maharashtra assembly polls defeat, Patole said, "These are all rumours and there is no truth in them. There is collective accountability."
Patole also said he will meet Rahul Gandhi in a day or two and discuss all issues.
"Democracy is being finished. We have discussed that... there was no talk of resignation," he said.
The MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), was restrained to 46 seats by the Mahayuti that reaped a rich harvest of 230 seats in the 288-member House.
