Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, June 20: Eight Pucca shops including six semi-constructed, raised on Forest land along Jammu-Poonch highway at Jarran Wali Gali in Surankote area were demolished by Forest, Revenue authorities and Police in a joint operation today.
Official sources said that Forest authorities served notices to the land grabbers to vacate the encroached Government land but they did not comply to the directions. Today morning, the joined party led by Naib Tehsildar, Tariq Hussain Shah, Range officer Surankote Nissar Ahmed, assisted by FPF staff, two Foresters/ guards and Police men launched operation and demolished eight Pucca shops raised on the Forest land falling under Compartment No. 254 of Surankote Range.
There was some resistance initially from the families of the land grabbers but the police and FPF men did not allow them to interfere in the Government operation. Using JCB, all the concrete structures raised on Forest land some time back were razed to ground. It took about three hours to the team to clear the area and control situation.
Conservator of Forests, Jammu West Circle, B Mohan Das when contacted said that operation was conducted under the supervision of DFO Poonch, Mohan Choudhary and he himself was closely monitoring it. He said the help from District Police Poonch and Revenue authorities was also sought. Though there was some initial resistance by the locals, but operation remained successful.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
