BENGALURU
A petition has been filed in the High Court challenging the process of sanctioning more than 20 acres of land belonging to the Horticulture Department near Nandi Cross, adjacent to Chikkaballapur city, for the construction of a flower market by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC).
Hearing a public interest litigation filed by six local farmers, including farmer B Tippareddy from Tippenahalli in Chikkaballapur taluk, a bench comprising Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav and Justice S. Rachaiah issued a notice to the government and directed it to file objections.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner said, there have been intensive activities to hand over more than 20 acres of land in various survey numbers of Nandi Hobli and Yaluvanahalli to the APMC. Currently, this land, which is under the possession of the Horticulture Department, has 791 large trees of various species that are more than 49 years old. The APMC officials have sought permission from the Forest Department to cut these valuable trees. Therefore, this land should be directed to remain with the Horticulture Department.
Considering this point, the bench ordered notices to be issued to the Chief Secretary of the state government, the Principal Secretary of the Horticulture Department and the Chikkaballapur Deputy Commissioner and adjourned the hearing to June 1.
The Horticulture Department’s land earmarked for the flower market has trees and plants that are more than 40 to 45 years old. These include the best varieties of sapota, mango, jackfruit, and violet trees. A soil testing center, a farmer training center, and a poly house are also functioning.The vested interests of local politicians and their followers, especially traders, lie behind the transfer of this valuable land. Despite the opposition of local farmers, commercial efforts to establish an APMC flower market here are in full swing. There is enough barren land in various parts of the taluk for the establishment of the proposed market. In this situation, the petitioners have requested that the government be directed to consider any other land other than the developed land of the Horticulture Department.