Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, June 11: While the Government has resolved to protect all the traditional and old water bodies throughout the country as part of water conservation programme and also earmarked huge funds for the purpose this year and kept at the disposal of Rural Development Department (RDD), some influential land mafia men without caring for the RDD authorities or the District Administration has filled up an old traditional pond (Talab) at historic Jasrota village in Barnoti area of Kathua.
Despite opposition by the villagers, this mafia having patronage of a political leader from Kathua using JCB has filled up about 70 % of this water body with earth. Out of nearly 24 kanals of land, including some catchment area of the pond, nearly 50 % of this land has already been grabbed by the mafia. Now, they have engaged a JCB to fill this tank/ pond despite opposition by the villagers. This all happened under the nose of BDO Barnoti, Varinder Kumar and ACD Kathua besides Tehsildar concerned.
ACD Kathua when contacted said that he was not aware of the matter. He also said that it was not in his domain to protect the pond and take action against the accused persons. Their part is only to develop the water bodies. Tehsildar Avtar Singh, however, said that he would send his team and stop this land grabbing act going on there.
The villagers said that one Balbir Singh, a close aide of top politician from Kathua is grabbing this pond. He threatened them when they opposed his move to damage this old village pond but no officer listened to them when they contacted a couple of days ago. They said that this illegal activity was going on for the last several days and some field officials were informed about the mater..
Meanwhile, Tehsildar Avtar Singh when contacted claimed that he sent a team led by Naib Tehsildar accompanied by some cops to the area and they has stopped the land grabbing process.
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