Criminal cases to be filed against farmers for encroaching on forest land

Criminal cases to be filed against all farmers who have encroached forest land and illegally cultivating Based on a report by a squad was set up regarding encroachment of government lands A complete report of the forest land encroachment to be prepared within a month

The special courts in Karnataka for Land Grabbing cases has instructed that criminal cases must be filed against all farmers who have encroached forest land and illegally cultivating for long time. The court had already issued orders to file criminal complaints against all those who have encroached on tank basin areas, reports Kannada Prabha.

The three-member special court headed by justice HN Narayana has admitted suo motu case based on a report submitted by a squad set up to protect government land headed by retired IAS officer Balasubrahmanyam regarding encroachment of government lands has instructed that criminal cases should be filed against all those who have encroached land.

The special court has also issued orders to the district forest conservators to prepare a complete report of the forest land encroachment in all districts within a month and submit to the court. The forest conservators and deputy forest conservators of all districts should visit all forest lands encroached in the State. They must prepare a report of forest land encroachment and submit it to the special court. Based on the report, criminal cases must be filed against the violators the justice ordered.

The forest area is diminishing in the State in recent times. Care must be taken to check further diminishing. There must not be any forest land encroachment in future. This is the aim of the special court, said special consul B S Patil, who argued for the government.

The Balasubrahmanyam report states that a total of 11.47 lakh acres of forest land has been encroached in the State. This also includes the 7.47 lakh acres for which applications have been submitted in Form 50-53 and permission sought under Forest Land Rights for land grant.

Meanwhile, the farmers are appealing to regularise the forest land encroached because if the Balasubrahmanyam report is implemented several farmers will be left landless. Hence, the farmers are appealing that those who have encroached less than 10 acres should be either regularised or convert it into lease. In this context the special court’s order to file criminal cases against encroachers takes a significant turn.