Haveri : Allegations of missing saplings from roadside plantation works costing over Rs 7 crore have prompted district in-charge minister Rudrappa Lamani to seek a joint inspection and third-party probe.
The issue was raised at a district KDP meeting on April 10, where members questioned the absence of saplings at several locations despite expenditure on plantations for 2025-26. However, Lamani said the deputy conservator of forests, Haveri, objected, citing the Karnataka Forest Code, 1976, and contending that officials from other departments could not inspect forest works. Stay updated with the latest Hubballi news.
In a letter to forest minister Ramalinga Reddy, Lamani sought physical verification of the works and an independent assessment to ascertain whether plantations were carried out and funds properly utilised. Then district in-charge minister Shivanand Patil had ordered a joint inspection by taluk panchayat executive officers, gram panchayat PDOs and forest officials. Lamani sought physical verification of all plantations and a comprehensive report, besides a technical assessment by an independent agency or agricultural or forestry university. Download the TOI App.