Madhu Bangarappa warns forest officials against forceful eviction of farmers citing court orders
Shivamogga: School Education and District In-charge Minister Madhu Bangarappa has instructed forest department officials not to forcibly evict farmers cultivating forest lands on the pretext of court orders. He warned that any harassment or assault on farmers during eviction drives would invite strict government action against the officials involved.
The minister was chairing a progress review meeting of the Forest, Public Works, KRIDL, and Irrigation departments at the District Administrative Office on Saturday.
Bangarappa said that many farmers have been cultivating forest land for generations, and their cases must be dealt with as per Supreme Court guidelines. “Do not issue unnecessary notices or use the court order as an excuse to trouble or evict them,” he told forest officials.
He further directed that new encroachments must not be allowed, but the government should take steps to regularise encroachments made before April 27, 1978. He asked officials to submit a report on the measures taken to exclude legally granted agricultural and residential lands from the proposed forest inclusion list.
“No arbitrary action against farmers will be tolerated,” the minister said, reiterating that the forest department should act within the framework of justice and compassion.
MLA Ayanur Manjunath demanded that officers provide written, document-based explanations regarding their actions. MLA Gopalakrishna Belur pointed out that notices are being served to farmers in parts of Malnad and urged the government to stop such harassment.
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Hanumanthappa clarified that cases classified under PF and MF fall under minor forest categories and can be settled locally. He said 375 notifications have already been issued in this regard.
Speaking on irrigation works, Bangarappa instructed officials to begin construction of bridge-cum-barrages across the Gudavi, Yadagoppa, Dandavati, and Varada rivers in Sorab taluk at a cost of Rs 160 crore. He also urged them to take up culvert and minor bridge projects without delay. “Better coordination between departments will help speed up the work,” he added.
The minister reviewed the progress of regularising houses in declared slum areas across the district. He instructed officials to issue property rights for houses in rural slums and provide Form 94C and 94CC certificates for homes located in urban slums.
Municipal Commissioner Mayannagowda informed the meeting that 9,000 applications had been sent for regularising houses of poor families who have been living for over 40 years on municipal land within Shivamogga city limits.
District officials, including Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, Zilla Panchayat CEO Hemant Kumar N, CCF Hanumanthappa, and DCF Prasanna Kumar Patagar, attended the meeting.
It was also revealed that Shivamogga ranks sixth in the state in the ongoing social, educational, and economic survey, with 96% of the work completed. Around 8,000 urban households and 15,000 rural households are yet to be surveyed. After completion, grievances related to Sharavathi rehabilitation will be addressed, followed by a review of reserved forest areas in December.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
