BELLARY: The much-awaited survey of forestland and fixation of boundaries will commence very soon, said Minister for Forests C. Chennigappa.

Speaking to presspersons here on Saturday, Mr. Chennigappa said that the survey would be conducted jointly by the departments of Revenue, Forest, Mines and Geology and Land Records, along with a Union Government team. The survey work would begin in Bellary district in about a month, he said.

The Minister was here to review the preparations made by Forest Department officials for updating the records so as to pave way for the proposed joint survey of forestland in the State. Forest Department officials, including the Principal Chief Conservators of Forests and the Additional Principal Chief Conservators of Forests from all the districts, had participated in the preparation work.

Mr. Chennigappa said that the joint survey work had been pending for long. The State Government, apart from getting a satellite imagery map of the forest area in the State and forming a team headed by U.B. Singh to see if there were any encroachments of land or violations of rules by mining companies, had already written to the Union Government requesting it to send its team for the joint survey.

Asked what the Forest Department had done with regard to complaints of encroachments of land and the lifting of ore on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border near Bellary, he said that action in the matter would be initiated based on the outcome of the joint survey.

"Once the survey is completed and if it is proved that the forestland falls within the State's jurisdiction, as we have claimed, we will initiate action against all those involved in illegal activity in the area, and no one will be spared," he said.

There are around 90 mines in the district (in Hospet, Sandur and Bellary sectors), spread over forestland measuring around 5,728 hectares, of which only 50 are active. Works on eight mines, despite forests being cleared for them, are yet to commence, while 30 other mines are awaiting clearance of forests.

Mr. Chennigappa said that while the survey was being conducted by the Forest Department, it was found that 17 mining companies had been dumping ore beyond their boundaries. He added that show-cause notices had been issued to them. Hologram

Mr. Chennigappa said it has decided to use hologram and laser printed numbers on the permits to be issued for transportation of forest produce, including iron ore.

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