Shivamogga: A villager filed a complaint at the police station against the forest department’s eviction drive.In Korlikoppa village near Kundur, within Barur gram panchayat limits, farmer Dakappa filed a complaint against staff attached to the Ambligola Range, accusing them of destroying his arecanut and banana plantation. Dakappa said his family was granted three acres of land in 1994 by the state govt, following which they took up agriculture on the land. Despite having valid documents and khata registration, the forest department claimed the land belonged to them and filed a case in 2022, he stated. The matter is pending in civil court, but forest officials allegedly destroyed his crops.The cops said they recorded the forest department official’s statement and will submit a report to the court.When contacted, DCF Mohammed Fayajuddin said he does not have information about the case.Meanwhile, many families in Sagar’s Kattinakaru village fear being evicted after receiving notices from the forest department. They were displaced due to the Sharavathi dam project.In Kattinakaru village, 14 families face eviction. Forest minister Eshwara Khandre stated that encroachments under three acres with pending Forest Rights Act applications would not be cleared, however farmers feel these promises are unfulfilled.Farmers and activists allege political forces are using environmental conservation to displace locals.DCF (wildlife) Prasanna Krishna Patgar told TOI that they are following the court orders to clear the reserve forest area. Farmers are encroachers and are not entitled to compensation, he said.
