Karnataka High Court stays for now cutting of more trees on lands allotted to various institutions within Jnana Bharathi campus of BU

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday restrained the authorities from cutting more trees, for now, on the lands allotted or leased to various public and autonomous institutions for establishing their offices, on the Jnana Bharati campus of Bangalore University (BU).

Details sought

Also, the court directed the authorities to give details of trees already cut on the allotted lands for the construction of buildings.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha passed the interim order on the PIL filed by Swayam Jagruti Seva Trust, Mudalapalya, Bengaluru.

The bench, on November 21, had ordered issue of notice on the petition to the State government and others, including the institutions that are beneficiaries of lands on the campus, while adjourning further hearing till December 9. Also, the bench had directed the government to produce necessary details indicating the decision making process on the question on whether the concerned authority had examined the necessity for diversion of forest land stated to have been reserved for biopark before allotting lands to various institutions.

However, the petitioner filed an application for urgent hearing complaining that some trees were being already cut and some trees were translocated from some of the allotted lands to make away for the construction of buildings.

Now, the Bench will hear the petition on December 9 to examine the details to be provided by the government.

Lands granted

The government had allotted lands on the Jnana Bharati campus in favour of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Inter University Center For Yogic-Science, Central University of Karnataka, Central Board of Secondary, Council of Architecture, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, and National Law School of India University.