Sirsi: Forest encroachers tried to picket the office of the chief conservator of forests of Canara Circle in Sirsi on Saturday alleging that the forest department was evacuating all forest dwellers who have been residing in the forest lands for decades.

The protesters took out a procession from Yellapur Naka urging fulfilment of their demands.

They alleged that evacuating the forest dwellers at a time when the implementation of the Forest Rights Act was in progress was an injustice to the forest dwellers. They then moved aside the barricades put up by the police and tried to get into the office. The police then locked the office gate to bring the situation under control.

Agitation leader A Raveendra Naik said that according to the report submitted by the forest department to the government, already 3,159 hectare had been acquired from 5,621 forest encroachers in Uttara Kannada district. But the report was not proper.

The protesters warned of intensifying their protest in case the eviction was not stopped.

Leaders Sadanand Bhat, Shobha Naik, Rama Moger, Ibrahim Saab and others were present.