Southern States - Karnataka   

Landholders to hold rally for tree rights

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI Sept. 13. Landholders in Kodagu will organise a rally at Gonicoppa in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu on September 28 to draw the attention of the State Government to the need to give them tree rights, according to Nanda Subbaiah, former president of the Siddapur Small Growers' Association, here on Friday.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Subbaiah said landholders, which included farmers and growers, were worried as the Government had not taken a decision on giving them the right to trees grown on their lands.

The Forest Minister, K.H. Ranganath, recently gave a patient hearing to a delegation of landholders, and promised to look into the demand. However, there was no action, he added.

Landholders would participate in the rally irrespective of their political affiliations as it involved their interests, Mr. Subbaiah said, and added that the district administration should declare the lands of farmers as "paradeena'', which would given them absolute ownership and tree rights.

He criticised the action of the Deputy Commissioner, who had obtained a report in this regard from the office of the Tahsildar and sent it to the Government. The issue could have been decided by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Subbaiah said.

He accused the Forest Department of harassing the farmers, and said Suresh, a farmer from Kotur village in Virajpet taluk, was permitted by the Forest Department to cut 300 cu. ft. of rosewood for bona fide use recently. Mr. Suresh was also permitted to transport the wood. But Mr. Suresh could not use the wood in the time allotted, and he had sought an extension.

However, the Forest Department refused to grant extension, he added.

The committee, formed under the leadership of the former zilla parishat president, J.A. Karumbaiah, to demand tree rights, would take up the issue. It would decide when to organise a mass protest against the "anti-people" attitude of the Forest Department, Mr. Subbaiah said.

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