Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 3: Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement has demanded judicial probe by a sitting High Court Judge into axing and uprooting of thousands of trees by a private transmission company executing work on Jallandhar-Samba-Amargrah 440 KV DC transmission line.
In a statement, chairman of RTI Movement, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said that forest wealth from Baramulla to Samba via Pir Panchaal forests is being plundered under the garb of development.
“From the last 4 years, employees of transmission company M/S Sterlite, NRSS 29 and M/S Unitech along with Forest Department and State Forest Corporation (SFC) have cut over 400 forest trees (Kail) in Laden and Buzgoo villages of Budgam district only under the garb of laying 440 KV transmission line,” the statement said.
“JCB’s are being used to uproot the stumps, so as to destroy the evidence. Huge damage has been caused in Pakherpora, Kanidajan, Darwan villages as well as in Shopian and Kellar,” the statement further stated.
“We want a high level inquiry to be conducted by a sitting Judge of J&K High Court,” said Dr Raja Muzaffar adding that the company has also uprooted and axed thousands of fruit trees.
“Our environment is under threat, we appeal to the Governor, his Advisors, Chief Secretary and Principal CCF JK Forests to initiate a judicial probe into this issue which has caused huge loss to our environment and forests,” he maintained.
He further said that the transmission line of NRSS 29 passes through 11 districts including Budgam, Shopian, Poonch and Rajouri.
He claimed that the affected villagers and farmers in many villages have not been paid compensation at all while as their land has been turned useless as the transmission lines passes through it.
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