Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy said on Wednesday (October 30) that Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre had “trespassed” on the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) Public Sector Unit land. Khandre had accused HMT Limited, a central public sector enterprise, of illegally occupying, renting and selling forest lands to private individuals and government institutions.

Speaking to the media in Channapatna town, the Union Minister said: “I will give comprehensive information about everything shortly. Eshwar Khandre entered HMT premises without permission. A legal dispute is ongoing in the court and we are waiting for the verdict. We will fight. This fight is being fought through legal means, not for publicity.” ” he said.

Khandre alleged that HMT lacked knowledge and experience as it sold the land to Canara Bank in 2002.

Khandre also accused the company of allowing non-forestry activities on its forest land, stating that the company rented the forest land to the producers of the movie Toxic, starring actor Yash. He claimed that satellite images showed that many trees in the forest had been cut down and a huge set had been built on the land where filming had been going on for months.

“The illegal felling of hundreds of trees on forest land owned by HMT for the shooting of the movie Toxic has raised serious concerns. Cutting down trees on forest land without permission is a punishable crime. Was permission for this obtained according to the rules? “If your answer is yes, disciplinary action should be taken against the officer who gave the permit and a lawsuit should be filed against those concerned,” he said.

He added that the film crew established a small village on the land in question. “I have no complaints about the film crew. We need to see who is breaking the rules. “Cutting down trees is illegal and cannot be allowed,” he said.

However, Union Minister Kumaraswamy disagreed: “Large-scale forest land encroachment has occurred in many districts, including Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Bengaluru districts. The forest minister was paying special attention only to HMT land.”

The Union Minister questioned the forest minister’s courage in clearing forest land illegally occupied by a former Speaker of Parliament at Srinivaspura in Kolar district.

“Forest Department and Kolar Deputy Commissioner have sent notices. Why has this violation not been remedied, Eshwar Khandre?” Kumaraswamy asked.

“Khandre, are you following one rule for the poor and another for Congress leaders? I know what instructions were given to you by CM Siddaramaiah,” he said.

Minister Kumaraswamy said many shocking facts have come to light about the ED raids in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case. He stated that MUDA records were stolen and lost but CM Siddaramaiah continued to declare ‘Satyameva Jayate’.

(With inputs from IANS)