Muppane nature camp which is a part of Karnataka state forest departments national park is having nexus with agents outside the camp who run the water sports activity, accommodation and trekking and boating in a mafia style. Pl read ahead.
Recently we wanted to have a good back water camping experience in the sharavathi valley near shimoga district near sagara.
But to our shock and surprise we encountered hurdles after hurdles to find an accommodation, tented or roofed accomodation near by for a reasonable price. The entire operation is run by mafia nexus between muppane nature camp and one outside agent called sampath and his gang.
Several blogs indicate to sampath who runs the water sports activity, however it is a deceitful tack employed by forest department who close all the gates and say there is no booking possibility.
At first we went straight to muppane nature camp after 450 kms enroute to Bhatkal from sagara we find this godforsaken place with no facilities simply propogated falsesly by sampath and his bloggsters. After we reach muppane the forest officials simply charge at you for even trying to enter the gate, saying you should have permission. If you ask for permission they say that we must go to shimoga for booking. Then if we insist they say that DFOs friends are already staying.
The gates were not opened even after several please for permission. We had travelled 450 kms straight from Bangalore to muppane nature camp.
It was then transpired by another low level staffer Ashok when he called the sinister agent sampath to arrange the accomodation.
This is a major fraud and mafia like business run by travel agents having some filthy accomodating by charging exorbitant rates as tariff. After speaking to this guy we came to know that nothing moves without money, we had to shell out Rs. 2000 for a package arranged by this agent.
He has his private farm house about 60 kms away from the muppane nature camp. There is no name, no license for his operationgs.
He uses the facility of muppane nature camp as a unofficial agent. He uses the entire forest area, back waters, boating, kayaking, coracles etc as though it is muppane nature camps activity and charge private rates. No receipts, no proof is left of the operation.
He uses the false pretence saying that he needs to obtain permission for the trekking, boating activities etc. But it is raking in the moola in an indirect way.
His accomodation is one nightmare with an extremely rude cook who takes money for everything and uses your own transport to sagara to get even salt and vegetables.
He uses public property to simply call it as sight seeing and trek in his own farm and says it is after taking premission from forest department.
There is no forest officials what so ever around. Fake after fake promises is made on every front.
The gangsters were so rude that since we had approached him after cross checking with muppane nature camp and reached late to his dirty accomodation, he started abusing us and said that there will be no activity- no trekking, no water sports, no food because he has no groceries as we have not reached in time.
Very rude and inhospitable set of culprits who should be immediately stopped and removed from this landscape.
The entire charge of Rs.2000 was swindled by this mafia nexus of Sampath and his rowdy team along with forest officials.
Pl do not visit sharavathi valley water sports. All promises on the net is a big fraud and cheating to relieve of your hard earned money.
Pl also compain to government about this plot of money snatching mafia nexus if you have experienced similar situation here and else where.
Lets make camping, trekking, nature camps affordable and reasonable without unnecessary back door permissions/license raj created by state forest department.
It was a humilating experience received from Sampath and his rowdy gang. The forest officials on the other hand showed both colors of the closed doors and rude behaviour if you visit as common man, and change color soon after the moola has been received by way of Sampath’s dirty route of booking through agent.
Remember after going to Sampath there was no permission required by any forest officials. We however were not lucy ever after they looted us Rs. 2000 per head because they were rude and denied us all water sport activities since we reached late on saturday, it seems that Sunday permissions are not given. Every lie is employed to cheat you and snatch money.
Karanataka state forest department pl wake up and solve our problems.