Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 5: Over 1000 kanal of Forest land including a forest enclosure under Ujh project, has been encroached upon at the behest of a politician in Jasrota range of Kathua Forest Division while nearly 100 kanal of land got vacated by Forest team at Sailsui in Kalakote (Rajouri), five days back has been re-grabbed.
Well placed sources in the Forest Department disclosed that a large piece of land in Forest Compartment No. 46 of Jasrota Range in Porthain North and South Panchayats, near Jakhol in Kathua Forest Division in Jammu region has been encroached upon by some people. They have fenced over 1000 kanal of area including a Forest enclosure, developed under Ujh Project by the State Forest Department about seven years ago.
This entire activity was going on under the nose of concerned Range Officer and Block Forest Officer (Forester) while the seniors were not informed. They only came to know about the matter when Sarpanch of the village and some nomads approached Rajbagh Police and DFO Kathua about the matter.
A Forest enclosure had been developed under Ujh project of Watershed programme and even one of the family members namely Balbir had been working as guard in the project but this enclosure got damaged as many trees were felled illegally. It was used to be handed over to some nomad families for their short stay during winter months for making easy money by the family despite objection by the locals but the Forest officials maintained silence over the issue.
Sources disclosed that the villagers including Jagdish Singh, Surinder Singh, Baldev Singh and one Balbir Singh using influence of a politician from the district headquarters started fencing of this vast area including enclosure four-five days back. Nearly 30 to 35 persons were engaged in the fencing work.
Some villagers raised objections and contacted a few field officials of Forest Department but the work continued uninterrupted and most of the area has now been fenced. They have even uprooted the forest demarcated fencing posts. The area falls under Compartment No. 46 of Jasrota Forest Range. One of the concerned officers of the Range is said to be closely related to the family allegedly involved in land encroachment.
This family used to offer some portion of their private land to nomads (Bakerwals) during winter months for stay along with their cattle. In return, they used to earn money as rent from them. At least four nomad families which used to stay there during winters lodged complaint with the Sarpanchs of both the Panchayats and also before police alleging that huge portion of Forest land has been encroached upon. The Panchayat members visited the area yesterday and also informed Divisional Forest Officer Kathua, Mr Joshi about the matter.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K Abhay Kumar when contacted stated that he was not aware of the matter. He said the DFO concerned and other officers concerned have not intimated him so far. He disclosed that Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF Jammu), Roshan Jaggi is holding the additional charge as Conservator of Forests, East Circle Jammu so far. He will direct him to send a team for field verification and hold inquiry.
CCF Jammu Mr Jaggi, when contacted maintained that after receiving some inputs from the area last evening and directed the concerned staff to verify the facts and conduct preliminary inquiry into the matter and submit report. Mr Jaggi said a team of Territorial Forest and Forest Protection Force (FPF) men led by Dy Director FPF Kathua Mr Joshi and ACF Kathua Kuldip Kumar along with other staff visited the village at Porthain and Jakhol today. They met the Sarpanchs, the complainants (Bakerwals) and the party involved in land grabbing.
Mr Jaggi said the party fencing forest area and some State land has been directed to main status quo and not to disturb the fence posts of Forest Department. He said that this party has also removed Forest demarcation/ fencing posts. Some private land belonging to them is also adjoining this forest enclosure. The visiting team has found huge portion of land grabbed but some area they claim is State land. He said over 300 meters of long fencing they have spotted on one side and Forest enclosure area is also said to be more than 300 kanals. The exact area encroached upon could be established after conducting field verification. He said tomorrow, the Forest officials from Demarcation Division along with Revenue officials will go and start demarcation and field verification. The exact picture would come out within 2-3 days. He, however, claimed that the area under illegal occupation of the villagers will be get vacated.
SHO Rajbagh also confirmed that they had received a written complaint from Kuba Bakerwal and three others alleging that one Jagdish Singh, Balbir Singh and others were fencing Forest enclosure and adjoining land and covered more than 1000 kanals of the area. The matter has been taken up with the concerned Forest officers and Police Post Jakhol has been seized of the matter.
Assuring action in this regard, the PCCF J&K, Abhay Kumar said that he hold inquiry into the matter. If he finds connivance of some field staff members into the matter, he would definitely take stern action. He said the team has started its work and he was monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, a report from Rajouri said that nearly 100 kanal forest land which was encroached upon by a family at Sailsui in Kalakote and got cleared by the Forest and Revenue team in a joint operation on October 29, 2013, has been re-grabbed. A villager namely Kartar Singh and his son Kewal had allegedly grabbed Forest land in compartment No. 99 of Kalakote by raising a large `kucha’ structure. It was, however, razed in an action by joint team of Forest department led by DFO concerned and Tehsildar Kalakote with some police FPF assistance.
A woman from the same family namely, Sushma next day lodged an FIR against the Forest and Revenue officers with Kalakote police that these officials tore her clothes and indulged in manhandling. While the police started its investigation, the family with in five days, has again raised two large `pucca’ rooms on Forest land and re-encroached that area. The PCCF who expressed ignorance over the matter assured to get the land vacated from the illegal possession of the land grabbers.
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