Govt. fails to remove encroachment from forest land in Jammu

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 28: Though number of colonies has been constructed in Jammu by grabbing the forest land, it seems Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Forest Department has turned blind eye towards the violations.

This despite the fact that Omar Abdullah led government has been claiming that it is taking strict measure against the land grabbers in the state.

According to sources one of the prime location of the city Bhatandi, Sidra, Kot Bhalwal and Bajalta which is nowadays becoming a posh colony with the dwelling of ministers and bureaucrats of the state besides people from the summer capital of the state is mostly established on the forest land.

 Sources further said that most of the land is under forest department which was grabbed by the ‘Gujjar’ communities who were settled there from the past long time.

“These people sold the grabbed land in some low cost without proper documentation proof of the ownership to the people coming from outside the city” said a source.

Besides this there is a rapid increase of construction of new buildings in the said area without proper verification and permission.

Sources maintained that most of the buildings belong to the peoples with high level politicians approach, due to which the concerned authority have not taken any action against them.

Talking to TNI, District Forest Officer, Jammu, Sameer Bharti said that the department jointly with revenue department is taking this issue seriously to sought out is soon.

Bharti maintained that whereas at some places the forest land is close to the rehabilitated land the department has to take the measurement of this adding that recently the forest department had a meeting with revenue department in this connection.

“Chief Conservation of Forest, Jammu has also constituted a committee for the identification of forest land in the city” he added.

He disclosed that the department in collaboration with district administration will do a jointly verification of these areas of Bhatandi and Sunjwa to find out the exact figure of forest land.

For the encroached land Bharti said the state government has to decide whether the forest land will take from them or not, besides this the department is keeping a check for further encroachment on the forest land he said.

Whereas, Vice Chairman JDA, Sarita Chauhan said that the department haven’t received any such application from Bhatandi area for the permission of building construction.

Asking about why JDA has not taken any action against the illegal construction Chauhan prefer not to give any answer.