Khandre wants to reclaim forest land from IAF

FOREST Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Wednesday instructed his department officials to reclaim 444.12 acres of forest lands in the possession of the Indian Air Force in Jarakabande Kaval reserve forest patch and in Peenya Plantations.

- BOSKY KHANNA @Bengaluru

This comes days after Khandre issued directions and served notice to recover the land in possession of HMT in Peenya.

Khandre said the land parcels in contention with IAF are forest patches and should be recovered as per forest rules. He said of the total 570 acres of land parcels allotted to the IAF in 1987, the state government issued an order in 2017 cancelling the sanction of the 452 acres. However, IAF continues to be in possession of the land. Both the land parcels are listed as forest lands in government records.