Every election season, the issue of granting land to the families displaced owing to the Sharavathi Valley Hydroelectric Project comes to the fore in political debates. Leaders of both the BJP and the Congress trade allegations against each other on the issue, blaming the opposite for the delay in resolving it.
BJP Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra, who is seeking re-election on BJP ticket, in his campaign speeches, has been blaming the Congress for the delay in granting land for the displaced families. He termed the issue “sin” of the Congress, suggesting that it was the result of Congress’ mishandling over the decades.
Forest Act and its impact
Until the Forest Conservation Act came into force in 1980, the State government had powers to denotify forest land. Instead of making use of the provision, successive Congress governments ignored the issue, leaving the displaced people in a quandary. He also took the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to task for not moving the Supreme Court as the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change returned the State government’s proposal for de-reservation of forest land.
The hydroelectric project that was planned to generate power in the 1960s submerged vast tracts of agriculture and forest land, besides displacing hundreds of families. Those who were affected were shown alternative land in the forest areas of Sagar, Tirthahalli, Shivamogga, Shikaripur, and Bhadravathi taluks.
More recently, the State government issued 56 orders between 1994 and 2017 that dereserved the forest land so that the displaced families could get ownership of the land they cultivated. However, following a public interest litigation by Girish Achar, a resident of Hosagara taluk, in Karnataka High Court, the orders that deserved the forest land were cancelled in 2019.
The previous BJP government sent a proposal to the Centre seeking approval for denotification of 9,129 acres of forest land. However, the Centre returned it, citing court orders that discouraged de-reserving forest land.
Congress’s counter
B.A. Ramesh Hegde, Congress spokesperson, countered the allegations of Mr. Raghavendra, and said the proposal for de-reserving of forest land was returned by the Centre on court orders in matters that are in no way similar to the issue of people displaced by the Sharavathi project. “Mr. Raghavendra, being MP, has failed to convince the Centre on the issue,” he said.
Further, he said during the Congress rule, the forest land was de-reserved and the families were issued title deeds (hakku patra). “In fact, Mr. Raghavendra himself attended the ceremonies where the records were distributed. Then he praised the Congress government. But, now he is blaming the Congress for political reasons,” he said.
Mr. Ramesh Hegde added that the present government in the State was committed to resolving the issue. It held several meetings and also moved the Supreme Court to seek relief on the issue.
Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for School Education and in-charge of Shivamogga district, has been assuring the affected people that the Congress government will resolve the issue. He, too, had taken out padayatra before the Assembly elections last year on the same issue.
