Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 8: A joint team of Forest Department, Forest Protection Force and police today removed encroachment on nearly 160 kanal Forest land along Jammu-Udhampur National Highway near Jagti in Nagrota.
Official sources said that the Forest Department team led by DFO Jammu, Dr V S Senthil Kumar, under the supervision of Conservator of Forests, Jammu East Circle, B M Sharma assisted by Nagrota Police and FPF men launched operation at Kamini village near Jagti in the morning. About 50 odd Forest employees were involved in the day long operation.
The team faced tough resistance from nearly 200 locals who had gathered there to oppose action. They claimed that the land was private and it belonged to them. The CF Jammu East along with Forest demarcation team also reached there after the problem arose. They operation continued and the team also fenced the area till late evening and also deployed FPF/ Forest guards there.
The DFO when contacted said that they had encroached upon Forest area of Compartment No. 4 falling under Jammu Range of Nagrota. The land is on right side of the new four-lane highway near Jagti while going towards Udhampur. He said people were in process to raise some huts inside and they had intensions to grab this forest land to use it later for the commercial activity. The area is cleared and fenced now despite tough resistance from the locals of the area. He claimed that CF Jammu was himself supervising the operation on the spot.
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