Forest land sale claims spark outrage in Malnad region

Shivamogga: A burgeoning encroachment lobby in the Malnad region has sparked outrage after advertisements for forest lands for sale surfaced on social media, prompting forest minister Eshwar B Khandre to order a high-level probe.Despite recommendations from the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committees for specialised protection laws and stricter regulations in the Western Ghats, luxury buyers, businessmen, and politicians are reportedly rushing to purchase properties that include illegal forest holdings.The controversy reached a boiling point after a post on social media said a rubber plantation located between Sagar and Hosanagar is for sale for ₹35 lakh per acre. While the advertisement claimed 29 acres were 'Khata' or titled land, it explicitly listed the remaining 11 acres as ‘encroachment'.Another post on the same platform offered a house with two acres of Patta land and two acres of encroachment at Mastikatte in Hosanagar.Local activists, including Shashi Sampalli, expressed concern, noting that the commercialisation of these lands—often sold to extract laterite stones or used by nomadic shepherds for grazing—is reaching a crisis point.In response to these, Khandre issued an official note on March 18 directing the principal chief conservator of forests and head of the Forest Force to conduct an immediate verification of the site. The minister's order mandates that if the 11 acres are confirmed as forest encroachment, authorities must take immediate steps for eviction and recovery. This directive aims to curb the illegal transfer of encroachment property and address the lobby that threatens the ecological integrity of the Malnad region.