CHIKKAMAGALUR: Families which don’t possess residential sites have vented their anger against the Forest department for allowing coffee plantations by influential persons in a deemed forest area while denying them permission to construct dwellings on the same land which has been identified by the gram panchayat for sites.
The families alleged that influential persons have cut trees and planted coffee plants in the deemed forest area in Machagondanahalli village of Mudigere Assembly Constituency and pointed out that there is no action against them. They pointed out that a coffee estate is being developed at Tholuru hill of Machagondanahalli and demanded that the police register an FIR against those involved.
Earlier, the gram panchayat had said it will give sites in Survey Number 167 of Tholuru hill, but the Forest department had prevented it claiming that it to be a deemed forest. However, some influential persons have allegedly encroached the deemed forest and turned it into a coffee estate, villagers alleged.
