3 months ago
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A sandalwood husbandman from Chikkamagaluru, T.N. Vishu Kumar, allegedly severed branches of a sandalwood histrion adjacent Vidhana Soudha connected February 10 successful protestation against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The NHAI began clearing sandalwood trees cultivated by Mr. Kumar astatine Haliyur successful Tarikere taluk of Chikkamagaluru territory connected February 9. The authorization has acquired 4 acres of onshore successful the colony for National Highway 206 (Shivamogga–Tumakuru).
On February 9, Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) Siddalinga Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Tarikere N. V. Natesh, and different unit members arrived astatine the tract on with workers to wide the trees. Mr. Kumar protested against the histrion cutting.
The pursuing day, Mr. Kumar arrived successful Bengaluru and chopped branches of a sandalwood histrion adjacent Vidhana Soudha to gully the government’s attention. Soon after, the Vidhana Soudha constabulary detained Mr. Kumar and seized the machete. Recently, Mr. Kumar had threatened to extremity his beingness arsenic a signifier of protestation successful Chikkamagaluru.
A elder constabulary serviceman from the cardinal part told The Hindu that helium would beryllium booked nether the Karnataka Forest Act for cutting branches.
‘They killed my trees’
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Kumar said, “They person killed my trees, which I person guarded for 14 years. When they tin sever my trees, wherefore shouldn’t I?”
Mr. Kumar said the NHAI notification requires the cutting of 2,148 trees connected his farm. He alleged that the NHAI chopped 42 trees connected February 9 and severed branches of much than 100 trees connected Tuesday. “They person taken distant my trees without informing me,” helium claimed.
According to Mr. Kumar, the NHAI is offering a full compensation of ₹1.25 crore, portion the worth of the trees exceeds ₹100 crore. “They are not compensating maine fairly. I volition not permission Bengaluru until I get justice,” helium told The Hindu.
NHAI stance
The preliminary notification for the acquisition of onshore was issued successful 2016, and the last notification was issued successful 2017. The compensation was awarded for the land, sandalwood trees and different trees astatine antithetic stages. However, farmers, including Mr. Kumar, a nonmigratory of Haliyur, moved tribunal seeking higher compensation.
Mr. Reddy, the SLAO, told the media that arsenic per the court’s direction, compensation for each histrion had been fixed astatine ₹25,908. “For 4 acres of onshore acquired successful the village, we person granted the full grant of ₹3.25 crore. Of that, farmers person received ₹1.08 crore truthful far, portion the others refused to instrumentality the magnitude by submitting their records. We person deposited the remaining magnitude with the territory tribunal successful Chikkamagaluru,” helium said.
N.V. Natesh, Assistant Commissioner of Tarikere, told The Hindu that the clearance of the trees began connected February 9 and it would proceed for a fewer much days. “As per the tribunal orders, the trees are being cleared,” helium stated.
In Karnataka, portion determination is simply a immense request for sandalwood, lone 30% of it is met, and the remainder is being imported from Australia. Government officials accidental that farmers are reluctant to turn sandalwood successful India, arsenic it is susceptible to theft.
