Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 29: In the much publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO ‘SAVE’ (Save Animal Value Environment), Division Bench of the High Court comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Sindhu Sharma has expressed its displeasure over the incomplete information furnished by the Divisional Forest Officer, Forest Division Jammu with regard to the forest land encroached in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Division Bench on July 3, 2019 had issued detailed directions to the Forest Department to place before the court the names of the persons who are in unauthorized occupation of the forest land and also steps taken by the Forest Department for removal of the encroachment.
When this PIL was taken up for hearing, Advocate Rahul Raina appearing for the petitioner ‘SAVE’ drew the attention of the court to the compliance report filed by the Forest Department and vehemently argued that information about encroachers has been suppressed deliberately. “This appears to be intentional to shield the forest mafia in Jammu and Kashmir”, he added.
After going through the compliance report, the Division Bench put a specific query to Deputy Advocate General Ayjaz Lone appearing for the Forest Department as to why the names of the encroachers of the forest land in J&K have been missing from the compliance report. Upon this, Deputy AG submitted that the Forest Department is in the process of compiling the data pertaining to the encroachment and it will take some time to place the names of the encroachers before the court.
However, the Division Bench was not convinced with the submissions of Deputy AG and expressed anguish over the lackadaisical approach of the Forest Department towards the encroachments. The Division Bench, in the open court, observed, “the information furnished is not complete as only total area of the forest land encroached has been mentioned without giving details of the persons in occupation and the steps taken to evict them”.
At this stage, Advocate General D C Raina extended assurance to the Division Bench that he will get all the details of the persons who have encroached upon the forest land and the steps taken for removal thereof.
On the request of Advocate General, the Division Bench adjourned the PIL for March 3, 2020.
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