Karnataka forest minister Eshwar Khandre has directed strict disciplinary action against officials involved in permitting the felling of trees on forest land for the filming of the Kannada movie "Toxic". The movie, starring KGF star Yash, was being shot on a set erected within a forested area in Peenya, Bengaluru. During a site inspection, Khandre discovered that trees had been illegally cut to facilitate the movie’s production, prompting him to order a thorough investigation.
The minister highlighted that 599 acres of the Peenya-Jalahalli region had been declared reserve forest through a gazette notification. However, this land was controversially transferred to Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) in the 1960s without proper de-notification. Citing a Supreme Court ruling that “once a forest, always a forest unless de-notified,” Khandre emphasized that the area remains protected under forest law, despite its current use by HMT.
Khandre revealed that HMT not only retained possession of the forest land unlawfully but also sold parts of it to government agencies, private entities, and individuals. Additionally, the public-sector company has been renting out sections of this land for non-forestry activities, including film shoots. The minister noted that the unauthorized tree felling and land misuse could be confirmed through satellite imagery obtained from the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC). He demanded an assessment of how many trees were felled and whether proper permissions were obtained for these activities.
In his communication to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Forest, Ecology, and Environment, Khandre stressed that the axing of trees on forest land without authorization is a punishable offence. He instructed officials to identify those responsible and initiate forest offence cases against them. He also called for disciplinary action against any officer who approved the illegal felling of trees or permitted the land to be used for non-forestry purposes, including the film shoot.
The minister highlighted that 599 acres of the Peenya-Jalahalli region had been declared reserve forest through a gazette notification. However, this land was controversially transferred to Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) in the 1960s without proper de-notification. Citing a Supreme Court ruling that “once a forest, always a forest unless de-notified,” Khandre emphasized that the area remains protected under forest law, despite its current use by HMT.
Khandre revealed that HMT not only retained possession of the forest land unlawfully but also sold parts of it to government agencies, private entities, and individuals. Additionally, the public-sector company has been renting out sections of this land for non-forestry activities, including film shoots. The minister noted that the unauthorized tree felling and land misuse could be confirmed through satellite imagery obtained from the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC). He demanded an assessment of how many trees were felled and whether proper permissions were obtained for these activities.
In his communication to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Forest, Ecology, and Environment, Khandre stressed that the axing of trees on forest land without authorization is a punishable offence. He instructed officials to identify those responsible and initiate forest offence cases against them. He also called for disciplinary action against any officer who approved the illegal felling of trees or permitted the land to be used for non-forestry purposes, including the film shoot.
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