Kannada movie Poisonous’ courts controversy over felling of timber in forest land

Bengaluru, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday directed officers involved to take disciplinary motion in opposition to those that permitted felling of timber in a forest land right here, the place a set was erected for capturing a Kannada film titled ‘Poisonous’. He additionally carried out a spot inspection of the location the place the capturing of the film ‘Poisonous’, starring actor Yash, was held. In a notice to Extra Chief Secretary of Division of Forest, Ecology and Setting, he stated a complete of 599 acres of reserve forest in Bengaluru’s Peenya plantation 1 and plantation 2 is gazetted, which was illegally handed over to HMT within the 1960s with out de-notification. He additionally quoted the Supreme Court docket as saying “as soon as a forest is at all times a forest except de-notified.” The Minister additionally famous that the land that’s in HMT’s possession with out de-notification is a forest. “HMT illegally bought the forest land in its possession to numerous authorities and personal organisations and people and non-forestry actions happen right here. The felling of timber on this forest space is seen from the satellite tv for pc picture,” he stated. Khandre stated that it has come to his discover that HMT can be renting out the forest land in its possession for movie shootings and vacant land on a each day hire foundation. Noting that unauthorised felling of timber, particularly in forest land is a punishable offence, the Minister citing the previous and new satellite tv for pc pictures of the location obtained from Karnataka State Distant Sensing Functions Centre, sought to know what number of tress have been minimize and was permission obtained for this as per guidelines. He has directed officers to take strict disciplinary motion in opposition to the officer who gave permission for chopping timber. “If permission has been granted, disciplinary motion needs to be taken in opposition to the officer who gave permission to chop timber within the forest land and forest offences case needs to be registered in opposition to all these answerable for chopping timber,” the letter added.