A fresh tussle over the alleged misuse of forest land between the Centre and the Congress-ruled Karnataka government has broken out, with Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accusing the state Forest Minister Eshwara Khandre of trying to kill Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT).
Kumaraswamy, who is involved in a continuous battle of wits with the Congress government, lashed out at Khandre’s efforts to recover 599 acres of forest land that had been granted to the public sector undertaking in 1963 when the first plant was set up.
“The Forest Minister should shed his pettiness and cooperate with me to revive the ailing public sector undertaking that was once the pride of the nation. Doesn’t the pitiable condition of HMT bring tears to your eyes? Don’t you take pride in such a public sector unit,” questioned Kumaraswamy.
The new controversy erupted when Khandre announced that the Forest Department would recover the 599 acres of forest land in Peenya-Jalahalli in North West Bengaluru. Khandre claimed that the forest land in question was worth Rs 10,000 crore.
Kumaraswamy has been engaged in a running battle of words with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the recent padayatra against the scam in the Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and the alleged scam in the allotment of sites to the wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The Land Belongs to HMT: Kumaraswamy
Kumaraswamy questioned on what basis Khandre had issued an administrative note. Khandre had given instructions to the state Forest Department to begin the process of recovering 281 acres from Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) Limited. The Karnataka Forest Minister’s contention was that the land on which HMT stands was forest land and should be returned to the Forest Department.
“On what basis has Khandre written the letter to take back the land? The land belongs to HMT and was gifted to commission the HMT unit in Karnataka. It was acquired with the support of the Mysore Maharaja. The land was allotted, HMT paid the money in the 1970s and bought it. There is documentation that clearly states that the land has been allotted to HMT permanently,” the Union Minister said, taking on Khandre.
Kumaraswamy also accused the Karnataka Minister of playing petty politics at a time when efforts are being made to revive PSUs like HMT in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ policy. Kumaraswamy said that on one hand, the Congress accuses the central government of not cooperating with the state, and on the other hand, it obstructs central ministers who are trying to do something good for the state.
“What benefit do you get by not cooperating with me? This is not about Kumaraswamy; it’s the state’s progress that is at stake. Please cooperate with me and stop looting the state and start working towards the development of Karnataka. What do you achieve by losing factories like HMT,” asked Kumaraswamy.
It is Forest Land: Khandre
Khandre countered this with a Supreme Court ruling that stated, “Once a forest, always a forest.”
“That land belongs to the Forest Department and has to come back to the Forest Department. In 1963, when the land was given to HMT by the Revenue Department, that itself was illegal because it was forest land. Now we realise that the 160 acres of forest land have been sold for Rs 313 crores to private companies and government agencies,” Khandre told News18.
Forest Minister Khandre’s move seeking to re-acquire the forest land on which HMT stands has come just days after Kumaraswamy visited HMT Limited and held a review meeting with its officials on steps to be taken for its revival. Kumaraswamy said that as part of his central ministerial portfolio, he has been entrusted with 40 central PSUs, of which 27 have been shut down and others are struggling and on the verge of closure. He said his aim was to revive the struggling PSUs, and the Congress government in Karnataka is creating a hurdle.
“Who is against HMT or Make in India? Do you want to conserve the forest or sell the forest? He should introspect,” Khandre told News18.
“We will have to take legal action to recover the land and the apartments and other business units built on that land. Otherwise, we will be held responsible for not conserving the forests. Once land is notified as forest land, it cannot be de-notified. The Supreme Court has repeatedly said that whether there is tree cover or not, it cannot be de-notified,” the Minister said.
Khandre vs Kumaraswamy
Khandre released a list of government organisations and private companies to whom HMT has sold the forest land. These included government organisations like ISRO, Raman Research Institute, Doordarshan Kendra, Income Tax Department, public sector banks, and private companies like Maxwell Magnetics, Dollars Construction and Engineers, Silverline Estates, AMR Constructions, Air Force Naval Housing Board, Brigade Enterprises, Bagmane Developers, and others.
Kumaraswamy countered Khandre’s claim, saying the Forest Minister should revise the records if necessary. He pointed out that HMT did not receive the land for free, and everything was paid for. Kumaraswamy cited documents showing that the 599 acres of land were not given to HMT for free. He showed payment details for the transaction from 1963 and 1969.
He further questioned Khandre as to what he plans to do with the land after taking it back.
“Which builder do you intend to give it to after taking it back from the factory? You had promised to make Bengaluru like Singapore; you should look at working toward that,” Kumaraswamy said.
Khandre said that they intend to create a green space for Bengaluru, one that has a tree park to rebuild Bengaluru’s green cover.
“I have not indulged in hate politics and am not prejudiced against HMT. I took action based on a complaint that was received by me and am working towards reclaiming the encroached land of the Forest Department,” Khandre stated.
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