Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 1: The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the violent protesters after they blocked Sidhra By-Pass road for several hours on the second consecutive day today in protest against the demolition drive launched by the JDA officials to clear Government land allegedly encroached upon by some families at Majeen and adjoining areas near Golf Course at Sidhra.
A large number of people came out on Sidhra By-pass National Highway in the morning and raised barricades and placed big stones on the road. They stopped the movement of traffic on the either side on this busy highway causing inconvenience to the general public. The police however, diverted the traffic to the other routes.
The agitating people raised slogans against Government and JDA officials for demolishing their houses and other structures. They alleged that they were not given prior notices by the JDA officials and were forcibly thrown out of their houses and many families were made shelterless.
One Ghulam Nabi, dislocated during operation that when construction work was going on a few concerned field staff members from JDA approached him and asked to stop the work but after negotiation, they took money from him and then allowed construction.
He said no body stopped him thereafter. He said this practice was prevalent in the entire area and moreover, many families have land papers procured with the help of local Patwari and other JDA officials. Some of them even managed the electricity connections as well.
Another villager Des Raj alleged that he was living there for the last more than five years. If the JDA people want to dislocate them, they should be provided some alternative land. He alleged a former Cabinet Minister and a sitting Minister from main national level party have also encroached upon the Government land ( JDA/ Forest) near Golf Course at Sidhra. The land in their possession is more than ten kanals. Why administration is silent over it and not getting this land vacated? he asked.
Amidst shouting of slogans, the protesters kept away the police contingent for long as they continued stoning on the cops frequently. The cops also responded the same away. Some senior police officials also paid visit to the area but the protesters refused to clear the highway and continued their protest. The ding-dong battle between protesters and cops went on for several hours. The police then resorted to lathi-charge at around 3 pm and got the National Highway cleared for movement of traffic. The protesters then moved away.
Meanwhile, Vice-Chairperson, Jammu Development Authority Sarita Chouhan said that a field supervisor of the JDA Farid Hussain, who was inchrage of Sidhra area has been placed under suspension on the basis of public complaints. It was alleged by the general public that Farid and few others allowed the encroachment in that area and also indulged in unfair means. She said an inquiry has also been initiated in this regard and action will be taken against anybody (staff member) found involved in such act.
When asked why land in possession of some influential politicians is not being vacated in the same area, the VC said the operation is still continued there and if any specific complaint or matter of this kind comes to their notice, the JDA has right to protect its land. “ Whosoever, is there we will definitely act to protect JDA land and we are getting adequate support from our Minister in the drive against land grabbers,’’ she maintained.
Mrs Chouhan said the JDA is going to start fencing work on the retrieved land. The department is mobilizing resources for the fencing work and it will be commenced under police protection. Director Land Management, JDA Babu Ram said that some people tried to barge into the cleared area last night but a temporary police post has been created there and cops did not allow them to re-encroach the land. He said that not only JDA but huge Forest and State land has also been encroached upon by many people in the same belt.
DFO Jammu, V Senthil Kumar when contacted said that some Forest land was also in the illegal possession of some people near Dwara and Golf Course of Bahu Range. He said an exercise was going on to exactly identify the grabbed land in association with JDA and Revenue officials. The DFO did not give the exact detail of the total Forest land grabbed in Bahu Range but claimed that it was yet to be ascertained. He said in last few days about a score of structures were removed by Forest team near Sidhra.
When asked that nearly 1800 kanal Forest land cleared by Forest Department about three years back from encroachers near Dwara and Golf Course has again been re-encroached, the DFO said he was not aware and staff was on the job to identify the area.
CCF Jammu Ravi Kesar also claimed that field Forest officials were still on the job to identify the Forest land grabbed in Bahu Range and Sidhra area and it will take some time to conduct extensive survey by staff. He however, said that encroachment on some land has been removed in last one week in the same area near Tawi.
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