Karnataka forest minister Eshwar Khandre ordered officials to cancel illegal land sanctions near Seebi

BENGALURU: In a major crackdown on forest land grabbers near Bengaluru, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Saturday directed officials to cancel illegal sanctions of forest land near the well-known pilgrimage centre of Seebi in Sira taluk, Tumakuru district about 100 km from Bengaluru.
The minister also instructed forest officials to take legal action against individuals attempting to encroach on forest land using forged land records.

Following several complaints about land sharks trying to grab forest land around Seebi with fake documents, Minister Khandre personally visited the area and sought further details from district forest officials.
The Seebi forest, located on either side of the Bengaluru–Pune National Highway and covering over 1,000 acres, has recently drawn attention from land grabbers. The extension of the Bengaluru–Chennai Industrial Corridor up to the Vasantha Narasapura industrial area, just 10 km from Seebi, has further increased interest in the region.
In 2022, attempts were made to claim around 700 acres of forest land using fake land documents. These were rejected by then Tahsildar Mamata and Range Forest Officer Radha. Frustrated by the refusal, the land grabbers allegedly misused the chief minister’s office to obtain recommendation letters addressed to the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, and Tumakuru deputy commissioner. However, despite the pressure, the Sira taluk revenue and forest departments refused to hand over the forest land, citing legal constraints.
During his visit, Minister Khandre said that forest land in the region holds high market value and is being targeted by vested interests. “It is our duty to foil their efforts and safeguard the forest land,” the minister instructed officials.
Referring to legal claims made by individuals asserting ownership over the land, Khandre stated, “The Apex Court, in its historic verdict, has clarified the nature of forest land. A forest land will remain as forest land unless it is denotified by the state govt for non-forest purposes. When the state govt has not denotified forest land around Seebi, where is the question of allocation of land to private persons?”
He directed Deputy Conservator of Forests Anupama H and her team to file a petition in the Assistant Commissioner’s court seeking to cancel all illegal land grants in the area.
“The land mafia is trying its best to usurp the forest land systematically by portraying a few poor farmers. We will not only book criminal cases against such land mafia but also act against officials who have colluded with such miscreants,” the minister warned.
He also noted that Sira MLA and Karnataka government representative in New Delhi, TB Jayachandra, has submitted a proposal to fence the forest area.
“We will go all the way to prevent the actions of the land mafia and safeguard the Seebi forest,” Khandre assured the local community.
Forest department sources said more than 15 individuals claiming to be farmers had applied to the taluk administration for official recognition of their rights over the forest land. They argued that their ancestors had purchased the land in a government auction.
However, verification of land records revealed that all survey numbers cited by the claimants were officially classified as forest land.