Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SS)

Puttur, Oct 18: Members of the Puttur taluk state government employees association have taken strong objection and condemned Beltangady MLA Harish Poonja for making derogatory statements against a forest officer and officials of the Uppinangady zone who were on duty.

The employees association has submitted a complaint to the Puttur sub-division assistant commissioner in this regard.

From October 7 to 9, Lolaksha Gowda, a resident of Kalenja village in Kokkada hobli, laid the foundation to build a structure that comes under the Amminadka reserve forest area. When Uppinangady zonal forest officer Jayaprakash K K and officials visited the village to make an enquiry about the illegal construction and to clear the encroachment, MLA Poonja not only publicly made derogatory statements against the forest officials on duty but also called them and pressurised them.

The employees’ association members said the MLA also levelled false allegations against forest officials and defamed them. In the complaint, the members have called for stringent legal action against MLA Poonja and others.