Forest Department foils bid to encroach Park land

Miscreants trespass Salumarada Thimmakka Tree Park, take up illegal construction

Mysore/Mysuru: In an apparent attempt to usurp land, some encroachers are found to have taken up illegal  construction in Salumarada Thimmakka Tree Park in Malalawadi (Jayanagar) here after demolishing the compound  wall of the park.

Following the incident, the Forest Department officials have lodged a complaint in this regard at the jurisdictional Ashokapuram Police Station, while Salumarada Thimmakka Vrukshodyana Abhivruddhi Haagu Horata Samithi staged a protest against the encroachment.

Details: The State Government on Nov. 24, 2017, had declared 33.2 acre area coming under Malalawadi Survey No. 31 as Reserve Forest and subsequently, the area comes under the jurisdiction of Mysuru City Green Zone. Later,  the Forest Department developed this land into a Tree Park in the name of renowned tree activist Salumarada Thimmakka and constructed a wall around the park to secure the land.

In order to make the park useful for members of the public, the Department  installed a chain link fence allowing the public to jog, walk and do gym exercises. The Park also has a play arena for children featuring a number of play equipment.

When things seemed to be going on smoothly, a 40-50 member group of people all of a sudden trespassed into the park by demolishing the North-Eastern portion of the compound wall on the afternoon of June 22 by using a JCB  machine (KA-09/MH 5547). These people, after trespassing into the park, dug up as many as 43 ditches with the help of tractors, water tankers and other tools, following which cement poles were installed in 5 ditches and concrete blocks masonry work was done for connecting the poles.

Upon learning of the incident, RFO M.R. Dhanyashri rushed to the spot for an inspection when she was confronted by Siddappa of Jayanagar and B.V. Rajiv of Vijayanagar, who claimed that 2.01 acre area of land coming under Survey No. 31/2  belonged to one B. Ramachandra and he (Ramachandra) has given them the GPA (General Power of Attorney). But RFO Dhanyashri, going ahead with her action, seized the construction equipment that was brought into the Tree Park by the duo (Siddappa and Rajiv) and lodged a complaint with the Ashokapuram Police, who in turn, registered a case against them under Sections 447, 427 and 149 of IPC.

Samithi stages protest

Alleging that the land mafia was attempting to grab the Tree Park land, members of Salumarada Thimmakka Vrukshodyana Abhivruddhi Haagu Horata Samithi staged a demonstration in front of the Park yesterday.

Addressing the protesters, Samithi Patron V. Shailendra, who is also a former Deputy  Mayor, said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah when he was the CM earlier (2013-18), had planned to construct the Taluk Office at this spot. But he later declared the 33-acre green cover land as forest reserve and subsequently, the land was handed over to the Forest Department, which developed it as Salumarada Thimmakka Tree Park as a mark of honour to the tree warrior. Later, the members of the public too joined hands with the Forest Department in further developing the Park, which currently has as many as 1,800 trees. But all of a sudden, some miscreants, in an attempt to grab the Tree Park land, have demolished the compound wall and took up construction, which is shocking, he said.

Wanting to know who gave permission to  these people to dig up ditches and take up construction works inside the park, Shailendra expressed serious concern about land grab attempts and  urged the authorities to save the Tree Park in full. He also urged to take strict legal action against those who attempted land grabbing and punish the guilty.