Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 19: A Forester and beat guard were placed under suspension for their alleged involvement in massive illegal felling in connivance with the locals in Ramban Forest Division while Forest Department in a large operation in Batote and Sanasar area managed to retrieve nearly 972 kanals of its area from the land grabbers.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu Roshan Jaggi told the Excelsior that on the basis of public complaint regarding massive green and dry felling of Fir trees in Pogal Paristan area of Ramban, the DFO paid visit to the area and seized 900 cft timber including 43 long (50 ft) and 8 medium logs of timber. He also identified 13 green fallen trees. The seized timber is being transported to Ramban depot.
During preliminary inquiry it was found that some locals in connivance with the field staff have fallen these trees. Pending final inquiry, Forester Amar Chand and Beat Guard Bharat Singh were placed under suspension. The suspension of two FPF Guards Ghulam Hussain and Mohd Rafiq has also been recommended to concerned Dy Director FPF by the DFO for their alleged involvement.
Five locals of the area were also identified for felling trees and a case FIR was lodged against them. They are Mohd Din of Thanna, Abdul Qayoom of Panla, Bahar Din, Ayaz and Bashir from Pogal area.
Mr Jaggi further disclosed that Forest teams led by DFO Batote, Zahid Mughal removed massive illegal encroachment in Forest area by more than 42 people in Gandri Range, Dedni village of Marmat and near Batote in last three days. Most of these people have their own massive ancestral land and this encroachment was extension to that area legally owned by them. 660 kanals land was cleared from Dedni in Marmat, 128 kanals in Gandri and 184 kanal near Batote.
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