The Union Forest Ministry has ordered a detailed inquiry into forest violations in Ramdurg of Belagavi district. This includes unauthorised diversion of reserved forest land for non-forest purposes like deforestation, construction of buildings and installation of a statue.

A team of officers, including some from the Union government and others from the State government, has carried out the first round of spot inspection. And, investigation is on.

The investigation focuses on forest norms violation involving the installation of a 72 ft tall Lord Shiva statue atop the Mullur Gudda Hills on the outskirts of Ramdurg town and the construction of other buildings in the vicinity.

Congress MLA Ashok Pattan unveiled the statue in 2018. The statue, said to be the tallest Shiva statue in the State after the one in Murdeshwar, attracts heavy footfall. Innumerable pilgrims and tourists visit it during festivals like Maha Shivaratri.

Forest officials who inspected the sites have raised serious concern as the statue is located on reserved forest land and was constructed without obtaining prior statutory permissions.

The violations were exposed following two official site inspections by the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bengaluru, and a series of queries raised by the State government and the Ministry itself.

The case relates to diversion of nearly two hectares of reserved forest land through two adjoining proposals seeking ex-post facto forest clearance. One proposal pertains to the use of 0.9768 hectares for a meditation and yoga centre by Shiva Prathishtapana Seva Samiti, while the other involves 0.9648 hectares for an educational centre by Shree Sharada Devi Educational Society.

Both sites are located within and adjoining a Karnataka Forest Department Tree Park and are enclosed within a common boundary.

Field inspections conducted on June 19, 2025 revealed that extensive permanent and semi-permanent constructions have already been carried out on the forest land.

At the meditation and yoga centre site, inspectors documented the 72 ft statue of Lord Shiva, a 22 ft statue of Nandi, a pooja hall beneath the statue, cemented steps, paved internal pathways and a 250 m long access road. The total built-up area exceeds 22,000 sq ft.

However, the violations are not restricted to the statue alone. Officials have recorded some buildings and construction of structures in violation of forest norms. There is a cement-paved assembly and parking area, landscaped gardens, internal roads, retaining walls, an incomplete mantapa, temporary sheds and a concrete approach road.

“These have altered the character of the reserved forest land fundamentally,” a preliminary report says.

Meanwhile, the several reports recognise the fact that the construction was taken up in 2017-18 without obtaining mandatory approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act.

An FIR was registered by the Forest Department in August 2017. But construction continued despite that, as recorded by satellite imagery and observation by field staff.

Forest officials rejected a proposal for a Shiva and Sai Theme Park in the area in 2018. Despite this rejection, construction continued, followed years later by the submission of fresh proposals in 2024 seeking post-facto regularisation. Both current proposals are deficient in critical documentation, including detailed project reports, layout plans and land use details and they do not provide for any compensatory afforestation.

The Ministry has directed the State government to clarify the issue and submit action taken reports.

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said that he will study the reports before issuing suitable instructions to officers.

“If violations are found, then suitable legal action will be taken against those involved,” he added.