Tuesday, January 3, 2012

News Article: MP accused of encroaching on forest land


Dec 07, 2011
Express News Service , The New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The High Court on Monday ordered notices on the state government, Rajya Sabha member and mining baron Anil Lad, his cousin Ashok Lad and others following a PIL filed against them by city-based RTI activist alleging that a resort being operated by them has encroached 20 acres of forest land.
RTI activist K N Somashekar alleged that Amazing Valley Resorts, a unit of Lad Plantation and Resorts located near Narihalla Dam in Taranagar village of Bellary district, has encroached forest land, and going ahead with construction without permission from authorities concerned.

The Lads, who own a piece of land measuring 3.65 acres adjacent to reserved forest land and Narihalla River at survey number 410 in Taranagar village, Sandur taluk, have encroached upon forest land to construct the resort, the petitioner states.
The activist added that then Assistant Commissioner S G Patil had allowed the conversion of patta land for operating a hotel. However, according to information obtained through RTI, the deputy commissioner is said to have revealed that in order to convert such land, the central forest secretariat should permit conversion under Sec (2) of Forest Conservation Act 1980.

It is said that the Pollution Control Board, too, did not grant any permission for the resort. The Lads have paid a mere `200 to the gram panchayat for the resort, which has no jurisdiction to grant permission to such a huge resort.
A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice A S Bopanna, before whom the matter came up for hearing, adjourned the PIL to January 23 for further hearing.
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