Major set back to land grabbers
Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Dec 24: In a major development and set back to the scores of Forest land grabbers, the Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Rahul Yadav has cancelled the illegal entries of over 3318 kanals of Forest land in the Revenue records made by some officials in the district.
Official sources said that the action has been taken by the District Collector on the basis of several complaints of Forest land (Gair Mumkin Jungle) grabbing by many villagers and scrutiny of the record produced by the DFO, Poonch, Mohan Choudhary. Most of this land falls in Gursai area of Mendhar Sub Division.
During the scrutiny of the record, it was observed by the District Collector that some locals in connivance with Revenue officials like Patwaris, Girdawars and Naib Tehsildars managed illegal mutation and made eateries in the Revenue record under various number Khasra. He also declared that illegal mutation under LB-6/C, S-432 and 394 -C are not applicable on Forest land and hence declared all the mutations as void. He also directed the Tehsildar Mendhar to rectify the record.
The DC further referred the matter to SSP Anti-Corruption Bureau Rajouri-Poonch for further action. When contacted DFO Poonch, Mohan Choudhary said that such illegal entries were debarring the Forest officials to take action in case of Forest land clearance operations. He said as restricted in Forest Conservation Act, no Govt officer shall have power to make or issue any order for notification or directing that any forest land or portion there of may be used for non-forestry purpose without due process under Forest clearance.
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