Latest news with #ForestAct
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Karnataka to ask Centre, apex court to ensure justice to farmers cultivating forest land
CHIKKAMAGALURU: The state government is vested with powers to drop lands sanctioned prior to the notification issued under Section 4 of the Forest Act, 1963. But to ensure justice to farmers who have been cultivating such lands with houses on them for the past 40 years after the notification, a proposal will be submitted to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said on Friday. At a meeting with MLAs, forest and revenue officers from Chikkamagaluru district at Vikas Soudha in Bengaluru, he said the Centre and the Supreme Court will be urged not to clear human settlements and cultivated lands within the deemed forests. Instead, compensatory land should be given to the forest department, the minister added. In some cases, provisions under Section 17 have not been implemented even after 70 years of the notification issued under Section 4. This has become a hurdle in dropping such lands in the forest limits after the enforcement of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. Therefore, it has become inevitable to submit the appeal to the Centre and the Supreme Court, Khandre said.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Section 4 crisis to be resolved soon; will appeal to Centre, SC: Khandre
Bengaluru: Under Section 4 of the Forest Act 1963, the government has the option to abandon the land allocated before the notification, and a special proposal will be submitted to the Centre and the Supreme Court to provide justice to the people who have built houses and are cultivating for 30-40 years after the notification, said Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwara B Khandre. Presiding over a meeting held with Chikkamagaluru district MLAs and forest and revenue department officials at Vikas Soudha, he said that a request will be submit-ted to the Supreme Court and the Centre to give an alternative to the designated forest with residential areas, patta land, etc. and the land allocated after the Section 4 notification, and to abandon this land from the forest area. In many cases, even though Section 4 has been notified for 60-70 years, Section 17 is still not in effect. After the implementation of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, it has become difficult to abandon such forests. Therefore, it is imperative to appeal to the Center and the Supreme Court. Chikkamagaluru district is in the Western Ghats and there is a rich forest area here. There is 300-400 acres of land in a single survey number, and there is confusion because there is no joint survey. In this context, he told the officials to conduct a joint survey of forest and revenue land and try to resolve the problem quickly. The survey number in the certificate submitted to the Supreme Court as a deemed forest also includes houses, government schools, government buildings, and land plots. Now that we have finally got the opportunity to submit a report to the Supreme Court, we can submit a petition to the Supreme Court by conducting a proper survey and determining the amount of land eligible for abandonment, and by providing revenue land elsewhere as an alternative and cultivating a forest there, Ishwar Khandre Forest Minister also instructed that the deemed forest certificate, which was al-ready submitted to the Supreme Court in 2022, be uploaded on the department's of-ficial website to make it available to the public. Responding to the request of the MLAs that the current 10 km buffer zone around the bear sanctuary in Arsikere limits of Hassan district is also causing hardship to the farmers of Chikkamagaluru in the border area, the Minister said that a proposal has been submitted to reduce this limit to 1 km. He assured that this problem will be resolved soon. Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre, who convened a meeting to discuss the problems being faced by the common people due to Section 4 of the Forest Act and the affected forest notification in Chikkamagaluru district, was thanked by MLAs Rajegowda, Thammanna, Nayana Motamma, Srinivas and Anand who participated in the meeting. Forest Force Chief Meenakshi Negi, Chief Wildlife Warden Subhash Malkade, PCCF BP Ravi, Biswajit Mishra, Chikkamagaluru District Commissioner Meena Na-garaj and others participated in the meeting.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
KGF to hold convention on June 9 to address farmers' issues
Chikkamagaluru: In order to find solutions for the long-pending issues of coffee growers and the farming community in the district, the Karnataka Growers Federation (KGF) organised a convention in Chikkamagaluru on June 9. All taluk and hobli farmers' associations in the district, along with like-minded organisations, expressed their support for the gathering. The aim of this convention was to draw govt's attention to the long-standing issues faced by the farmers of the Malnad region. Karnataka Growers Federation president Halase Shivanna urged farmers, entrepreneurs, and workers from coffee-growing areas to participate in large numbers. He highlighted issues such as the unjust cancellation of lands approved under forms 50 and 53 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, the sudden acquisition of farmers' agricultural lands under Section 4(1) of the Forest Act, and the classification of long-cultivated lands as "deemed forest". He also pointed to the increasing damage and disruption caused by wild animals like elephants and Indian bison to agricultural activities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en Cuadro Nacional (ver precio) Verisure Undo He accused officials of delaying the processing of applications for leasing unauthorised plantations and claimed that govt is neglectful in distributing plots to the homeless in Malnad. "These issues will be discussed and brought to govt's attention," he said. "The coffee industry is a key sector in the state's economy, providing employment to thousands within and outside the state and contributing hundreds of crores to the national treasury. However, many govt regulations are proving detrimental to coffee growers. Particularly, issues related to the forest and revenue departments pose significant challenges. It is time to collectively address govt's indifferent attitude towards coffee growers," Shivanna said. A procession will be held from the Chikmagalur taluk office premises to Azad Park on the morning of June 9, followed by the convention. MK Pranesh, deputy chairman of the legislative council; MP Kota Srinivas Poojari; MLAs HD Thammaiah, TD Rajegowda, Nayana Motamma, GH Srinivas, KS Anand, and MLC CT Ravi will be the key guests. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Treat Zudpi Jungle as forest land, rules SC, exempts pre-1996 users
Nagpur: The Supreme Court on Thursday settled a long-running legal and ecological dispute involving over 86,000ha of Zudpi Jungle land in Vidarbha. It ruled that while the scrublands qualify as forests under the law, a one-time exception would be made to protect the interests of residents and institutions using the land prior to 1996. Delivering the verdict in a batch of applications linked to the 1996 TN Godavarman ruling, a division bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih accepted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommendations. It permitted the Maharashtra govt to seek regularisation of land use changes predating December 12, 1996. The order affects six districts – Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli – where large swathes of Zudpi Jungle were historically diverted for schools, hospitals, agriculture, and infrastructure without formal reclassification. "The Zudpi Jungle shall be considered as forest lands in line with the SC order of December 12, 1996," the bench held. "As an exception, and without being treated as a precedent, these lands allotted by the competent authority up to December 12, 1996, and for which land classification was not changed, the govt shall seek approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for their deletion from the 'List of Forest Areas'. " The apex court directed the govt to submit consolidated district-wise proposals for such lands. "The govt shall ensure that the land use is not changed in the future under any circumstances and transfer is made only by inheritance," it said. The Centre, on receiving such proposals, has been instructed to grant clearance "without imposing any condition for compensatory afforestation or depositing Net Present Value (NPV) levies". The court also issued stern directions regarding post-1996 land allotments. "The govt shall give reasons why such allotments were made along with the list of officers who made such allotments in violation court's orders. The processing of such allotments shall be done by the central govt only after ensuring that punitive action was taken against the concerned officers under the Forest Act," the bench stated. Zudpi Jungle, historically classified in revenue records as wastelands with shrub vegetation and poor soil, dates back to British-era land settlement documents in the Central Provinces. Despite lacking dense forest cover, these lands were captured by the 1996 judgment's broad definition of forests, which brought them under the Forest Act and stalled both public and private use, triggering a legal and administrative stalemate. To resolve this, the apex court's ruling mandates the Centre and state to jointly devise a streamlined approval mechanism within three months for any legitimate diversion of Zudpi Jungle for non-forestry purposes. "The Zudpi Jungle will not be permitted to be used for compensatory afforestation unless there is chief secretary's certificate regarding the non-availability of non-forest land. In such cases, compensatory afforestation must be carried out on double the area of Zudpi Jungle land, as per the existing the MoEF&CC guidelines," it ruled. To curb further encroachments and misuse, the SC directed formation of a dedicated task force in each affected district comprising a sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police, assistant conservator of forests, and a taluka inspector of land records. "They must identify and remove all encroachments made post-1980 within two years. All allotments for commercial purposes post October 25, 1980, must be treated at par with encroachments. " The court said all unallotted Zudpi plots of less than 3ha to be declared as 'Protected Forests'. These fragmented parcels, which cannot be managed as forests, would remain with the govt and cannot be transferred to private entities. In determining forest rights claims on these lands under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, historical satellite imagery has been authorised as a tool to assess eligibility. In conclusion, the court noted that while environmental protection remains paramount, the legacy of bureaucratic inaction and the socio-economic dependence of communities on these lands warranted a calibrated legal remedy. It tasked the CEC with monitoring the implementation of all directives and filing periodic progress reports. "We reiterate to the state govts and Union Territories to take steps to take possession of the land from the persons/institutions and hand over the same to the Forest Department. In case it is found that taking back the possession of the land would not be in the larger public interest, the state govts/Union Territories should recover its cost from the persons/institutions in occupation thereof and use that amount for the purpose of development of forests," the bench said.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
Death of deer in road accident not ‘hunting', says HC; quashes FIR
Bhopal/Jabalpur: Killing of an animal in a road accident cannot be treated as 'hunting', states MP high court while quashing an FIR against a person under the Forest Act for killing a barking deer with his vehicle. Santosh Kumar Patel from Jabalpur, in his petition, said that an FIR was lodged against him, accusing him of hitting a barking deer with his car, resulting in the deer's death. The barking deer is a wild animal listed as a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act , 1972. A case was registered against him under sections 9, 39, and 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. He was subsequently arrested and produced in court, which granted him bail. The petitioner argued that the case is pending in court, and witnesses are yet to depose in the matter, but the judge of the trial court framed charges against him. The deer died in an accident, and no case was made out against him. After hearing the counsels from both sides, the bench of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi said that according to sub-section 16 of section 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1971, sections 39 and 50 apply to a person if there is prima facie evidence against him of hunting an animal. There was no attempt of kill the barking deer or injuring it in any manner on the part of the accused. Wild animals are often witnessed on Dumna Road in Jabalpur, where the accident took place, and accidents frequently occur there. The deer seems to have been killed in a road accident, and there is no evidence to suggest that the accused intentionally killed it. With this observation, the court quashed the FIR.
