Forest department objects to Indiramma Houses on forest land in Telangana

The Forest department has objected to district administrations approving Indiramma Houses on forest land without its consent, triggering complaints from MLAs. Officials warned that allowing such construction would encourage encroachments and undermine conservation efforts in tiger reserve areas.

Hyderabad: The Forest department is at loggerheads with a few district administrations for approving Indiramma Houses on forest land. The department has raised objections to approvals being issued for houses without its consent or verification of land records.

A few MLAs, particularly from erstwhile Adilabad, Khammam and Nalgonda districts, are unhappy with the Forest department for opposing the construction of Indiramma Houses on forest land. The legislators have complained to the State government over the department’s refusal to permit the construction of houses.

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Khanapur MLA Vedma Bhojju raised the issue in the Assembly on Monday. “My constituency is under Kawal Tiger Reserve. The State government approved Indiramma Houses in the constituency but the Forest department has not permitted construction of a single house so far,” he said.

The issue was also brought to the notice of Adilabad in-charge Minister Jupally Krishna Rao. The Khanapur MLA further said that in Isnapur, cotton farmers had laid temporary roads to transport their produce to markets, but those were also not permitted.

Forest officials, however, have faulted the district administrations for approving Indiramma Houses on forest land.

“Without consulting the department or checking the land’s details, the district administration approves construction of houses and we cannot permit them. Saving forest land is our primary job,” a senior official said.

At times, officials were forced to turn a blind eye to such cases, which would invariably facilitate the legalisation of illegal constructions and encroachments, the official stressed. A few elected public representatives were also seeking permissions for laying electricity lines, digging borewells, laying roads and for other purposes.

Though not in large numbers, the Forest department said it had been encountering such cases in erstwhile Adilabad and in a few places in erstwhile Khammam and Nalgonda districts. The department argued that permitting Indiramma Houses on forest land was against its principles and conservation initiatives.

On the one hand, the department has been struggling to convince villagers in the core areas of Kawal Tiger Reserve and Amrabad Tiger Reserve to relocate to other places by offering money or land. Many villagers were still yet to be relocated, the official pointed out.

“At this juncture, if we permit Indiramma Houses on forest land, it will pave the way for more encroachments and defeat the purpose of ensuring there are no human-wildlife conflicts,” the official added.