Handigondi
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"Order Quashed" - Deccan Herald, 18 February 2009
The High Court has quashed the Union Government order dated December 6, 2005 to cancel the allocation of 4.5 acres of reserve forest land at Handigundi hills in Gopalapura village of Ramanagara district to install a Buddha statue.
The court which heard a petition by Sangamithra foundation, the organisation which had questioned the cancellation.
The petitioner had contended that the 38.08 hectares of land had been given to the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) in the same vicinity. But the same had been denied to establish the 712 feet monolith Buddha statue.
The petitioner further said that the fundamentalists are against the installation of the statue and had been citing reasons that the over 1000 feet rock at Handigundi is historically significant and is home to several wildlife, which is baseless. Justice Ashok Hinchigere who heard the matter has quashed the order and has directed the Government to consider the representation of the petitioner and grant him the land required.
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