Forest Department moves to clear coffee plantation

Monday, Mar. 18: A scuffle broke out between the farmers and the Forest Department when the Forest Department tried to clear a coffee plantation in Masagodu village, Valagunda, under the jurisdiction of the nearby Nerugale Gram Panchayat, citing forest encroachment.

When the Forest Department tried to clear a 2.10 acre plot of land owned by Hemanth in Survey No. 24/1 of Masagodu village using JCB machines, the farmers showed strong resistance.

The farmers, led by Raitha Horata Samiti President Chakravarthy Suresh, who opposed the Forest Department's operation, said that the government has formed a special committee to resolve land issues in Kodagu, including C and D land and government land encroachment, and it is not right that you are suddenly clearing it while that committee is functioning.

The government has given a 6-month deadline for the committee's report. Meanwhile, Chakravarthy Suresh warned that if the forest department forcibly moves forward with the eviction on the pretext of forest encroachment, they will have to face further consequences.

Forester Prashanth said that they had come to evict on the orders of the department's superiors. The farmers, who expressed their anger again at this time, insisted that the department's superiors come to the spot.

The land that was registered as government paisari till 1999 has now been declared a forest. Agriculture has been done in this place since several decades ago. It is not right that the forest department has come to evict now all of a sudden, he said. The government has asked the special committee to submit a report within 6 months. They demanded that the eviction should not be done until the committee's report comes, and they expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the forest department. They gave notice at 6.30 pm yesterday. They came to evict today. Notice should be given within at least 7 days. No local level officials have been informed. He said that such an action by the Forest Department cannot be tolerated.

The government issued an order on November 29 last year. If there is any land of the farmers, it should be inspected. Despite the order not to take any immediate action, the department is repeatedly torturing the farmers. The Forest Department, which has failed to prevent human-elephant conflict, is oppressing the farmers. Chakravarthy Suresh warned that if their oppression continues like this, they will launch a struggle across the district.

District Vice President of the Farmers' Association, Huvayya, said that it is an unforgivable crime that the Forest Department is snatching the land of small farmers before the compliance report reaches the government in Kodagu. The Farmers' Association opposes this, he said.

A scuffle broke out between the Forest Department and the farmers from 10 am till noon. Later, the Forest Department returned from the spot. More than 20 personnel of the Forest Department had arrived, but hundreds of farmers gathered at the spot and protested.

Raitha Horata Samiti Secretary Diwakar, Director Deshraj, Raitha Sangha District Vice President Huvaiah Master, Taluk Raitha Sangha President Dinesh, Haraga Village President Dharmappa, Bettadalli Sampath, Kotnalli Rajesh, Lakshman, Machanda Ashok, V.M. Vijaya, prominent Prashant, Vinay Sambhram, S.M. D'Silva, Hemanth and hundreds of farmers were present at the spot.

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