Shivamogga: Kuvempu University has landed in deep financial trouble after failing to comply with the terms of its forest land lease. The Karnataka forest department has slapped the university with a massive demand notice seeking a payout of approximately Rs 100.36 crore.Back in 2018, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) recommended the renewal of the forest land lease in favour of Kuvempu University for educational activities. A total of 89.92 hectares of forest land was allotted to the university, spanning across Survey No. 14 in Tavareghatta village (Bhadravathi taluk), Survey No. 16 in Singanamane village (Bhadravathi taluk), and Survey No. 37 in Bairapura village (Narasimharajapura taluk). The lease renewal came with strict conditions, including the mandatory payment of net present value (NPV) for the land use and absolute compliance with all directives set by the National Board for Wildlife. Furthermore, the university was ordered to undertake compensatory afforestation across 191 hectares of degraded forest land. Kuvempu University was entirely responsible for funding this afforestation and maintaining it for at least 10 years, with the required funds to be deposited via the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) account.Officials said due to delays in executing these conditions, forest department (Chikkamagaluru circle) issued a hefty demand notice to the university. The financial breakdown of the Rs 100.36 crore penalty includes Rs 37.14 crore for the 191-hectare compensatory afforestation and its 10-year maintenance, alongside Rs 14.34 crore for the Net Present Value (NPV) of the 89.92 hectares of leased forest land. Additionally, an accumulated penalty of Rs 48.86 crore has been added, calculated at a rate of Rs 3.93 lakh per day for 1,243 days of rule violations. A 12% annual simple interest is also being levied on the overdue penalty amount.Confirming the development, Kuvempu University registrar N Hemanth said that the varsity was originally granted a 20-year land lease, which expired in 1999. While the university submitted a proposal for a lease renewal, it later approached the court in 2008 seeking permission to construct permanent buildings on the site. “At that time, an order was passed directing the university to provide three times the equivalent land to the forest department alongside a payment of Rs 11 crore. Due to the university’s failure to comply with those initial orders, the financial penalty has ballooned dramatically over the years to the current Rs 100 crore demand,” he said.Hemanth said the forest department has granted an in-principle approval to use the land, but the critical “Stage 2 clearance” from the Union govt remains blocked until the Rs 100 crore demand notice is paid.Following discussions in a university Syndicate committee meeting, the institution has formally written to the Higher Education Department seeking govt intervention. The university vice-chancellor Sharath Ananthamurthy is scheduled to travel to Bengaluru to directly negotiate the legalities of the demand notice with the forest ministry.
