Karnataka Minister of Large and Medium Industries has said that a high-level committee to be constituted to determine whether to lift the ban on eucalyptus plantation or explore alternative measures for the revival of the Mysore Paper Mill (MPM) in Bhadravati industrial city in Shivamogga.
Minister MB Patil. (PTI) (HT_PRINT)
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The meeting also saw the presence of Forest Minister Ishwara Khandre, Bhadravati MLA Sangamesh, and virtual participation from District In-charge Minister Madhu Bangarappa and the District Commissioner.
Forest Minister Ishwara Khandre will outline plans today to form the expert committee, with a mandate to submit a comprehensive report within a month.
Speaking after the meeting, Patil said, "A total of 20,005 hectares of forest land has been given to Bhadravati Paper Mill in 2020 on a lease basis for 40 years, for growing eucalyptus. However, forest land cannot be granted without the central government's permission. On the other hand, the factory cannot run without getting the required raw material. This catch situation needs to be resolved".
MPM operation requires 10 lakh tonnes of raw material every year and currently only 2 lakh tonnes are available from the land given to the paper mill. Eucalyptus plantation is banned in the state. So, this has forced the concerned to explore a new way so that the factory can be revived, he stated.
There is a consideration about the possibility of allowing eucalyptus plantations in the surrounding districts of Shivamogga as well and the proposed committee will take a call on this, Patil said.
Industries Department Principal Secretary Selvakumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B K Deekshit, and Mysore Sales International Limited Managing Director Manoj Kumar were among the officials who were present.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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