Battered by back-to-back drought and plummeting levels of underground water table, the state cabinet on Wednesday banned planting of acacia and eucalyptus saplings across the state.Following the forest department’s report based on experts’ research, the cabinet collectively resolved to ban the saplings and decided to introduce a bill in the state legislature effecting the ban. Further, the cabinet also approved the separate policy to woo non-resident Kannadigas (NRI Kannadigas) for investment in various sectors, including industries, infrastructure, IT, Start-ups and tourism sector.Besides, the cabinet also decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to regularise buildings that have been built on BDA land. The committee would go through the proposals and nature of the cases and submit its final report to the cabinet. “Based on the report of the committee, the government will take a decision,” a senior minister said. The move is expected to rake in considerable moolah to the cash- strapped state exchequer. Political circles are abuzz with the talk that the decision to regularise these properties has been taken in the wake of centre’s plan to crack down on benami properties.