Karnataka govt reclaims 120 acres of encroached forest land worth Rs 4,000 cr
Bengaluru, Jun 23 (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday reclaimed 120 acres of forest land valued at Rs 4,000 crore, encroached upon in Kadugodi plantation here, officials said.
The drive against encroachment was initiated following the direction of state Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre.
According to officials, amid tight police security, a team led by officers of the Bengaluru Urban Forest Department began the operation early this morning using JCBs to remove encroachments from the Kadugodi plantation forest land, which is situated at Bidarahalli Hobali of Bengaluru East taluk.
During the operation, officials demarcated boundaries, erected fences, and initiated planting saplings of native species to revive the ecosystem.
The estimated market value of the reclaimed forest land today is around Rs 4,000 crore, they said.
During a recent review meeting with the senior officials of the forest department, Minister Khandre emphasised the urgent need to conserve Bengaluru's "shrinking" green cover.
He noted that as Bengaluru has been expanding rapidly, the city's green cover was depleting by the day.
In this regard, the government has issued clear instructions to protect green zones as vital breathing spaces and directed officials to strictly clear forest land encroachments in accordance with the law.
Since Khandre took charge as Forest Minister, 128 acres of forest land was cleared of encroachments in Bengaluru over the past two years.
"With the addition of today's 120 acres, a total of 248 acres have now been reclaimed, with an estimated market value exceeding Rs 8,000 crore," the forest department officials stated.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
