Bellary Reserve Forest Area row

Bellary Reserve Forest Area row By Shivakumar G Malagi/ Jan 10-2009 While tourism minister Janardhan Reddy has welcomed a Central survey of the disputed area in the Bellary Reserve Forest (BRF) where his company, the Obalapuram Mining Corporation is accused of encroaching on the state’s border, he has also filed a writ appeal (W.P No 645 of 2008) in the the high court of Andhra Pradesh arguing against it. He maintains in his petition that the question of direct ing the Survey of India at this stage to verify the existence of or re-fixing of the GTS points, allegedly destroyed by mining companies on the border, is unsustainable. Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde has in his report on mining irregularities claimed the Reddy Brothers’-owned Obulapuram Mining Corporation and other companies registered in Andhra Pradesh are encroaching on Karnataka’s border in the Bellary Reserve Forest. The reserve forest was notified under the Madras Forest Act in 1890 and included land both in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Ever since there-organisation of states in 1956, the interstate boundary has run South West toEast through the forest. Sketches of villages and mining leases on either side of theborder are prepared and approved based on the original BRF map. The Dr U. V. Singh committee which looked into the issue for the Lokayukta, says in its report that the GTS points at Sugglammagudda hillock (Andhra Pradesh) and Timmappanagudda hillock (Karnataka) have been destroyed during the course of mining. Mr Tapal Ganesh of Tumati Iron Ore Mines, which bought mining leases on either side of the inter-state boundary in 1956, says that re-fixing of these two “destroyed” original GTS points is essential for the state government to assess the actual extent of encroachment by the AP registered mining companies like OMC in the reserve forest. However, Mr Reddy argues in his petition to the court that the “GTS point is no more relevant and in fact has lost its relevance, since the state (AP) High Level Committee has already fixed the village boundary between Obulapuram and Siddapuram,” and adds, “Therefore, there is no point in identification of the erstwhile GTS point which was admittedly demolished by the writ petitioner (Bellary Iron Ores Pvt Ltd) itself and declared redundant by Survey of India.”