STATE TIMES NEWS
RAMNAGAR: Majalta Tehsil witnessed multiple protests at various locations with road blockades at several places by public cutting across party lines raising slogans against the government for dismantling saw mills operational in the Tehsil for the last several years.
The protests started in the Tehsil soon after the Forest Department teams along with heavy contingent of police and Forest Protection Force entered the premises of a saw mill owner in village Bharnara and confiscated his machinery and tools without any notice and without assigning reasons.
The stay order obtained by him from Court was disregarded and torn apart. This was followed by forcible entry into other saw mills notwithstanding the fact that they were in possession of requisite documents besides stay orders from the Court.
The public resented the action as politically motivated in view of local BJP MLA of Ramnagar having made frivolous complains against saw mill owners for vested interests.
Holding massive protests on the Dhar Road, the public representatives including ex-Sarpanchs and Panchs condemned the Forest Department for harassing and intimidating the poor and un-influential people while granting immunity to the mighty and the rich. They pointed out that the saw mills were operational in the Tehsil since 1995 and even prior to that and several others were running in pursuance of the directions of the Courts.
They said that while ministers and legislators were openly looting and encroaching forest land and forest resources, no action was being taken against them.
The speakers pointed out that MLA Ramnagar R.S Pathania had constructed a huge bungalow in Kail Majalta after becoming MLA and hundreds of scants of deodar had been illegally used by him in the construction of the said bungalow.
They regretted that no action was taken against the delinquent MLA nor any enquiry initiated against him despite at least one dozen complaints.
The speakers further accused the said MLA of corruption and other irregularities and castigated the government for providing him immunity.
They said that likewise a BJP minister had encroached huge forest land in and around Jammu but none dared to take cognisance.
Were the BJP MLAs and ministers above law, questioned the speakers seeking initiation of punitive action against the aforesaid offenders.
They said that any harassment or victimisation and vindictiveness of the government would be fought tooth and nail and BJP leadership would be exposed publically besides taking recourse to legal action.
Prominent among those who spoke in the protest rallies included Dharam Singh Bittu, Rajesh Sharma, Makhan Lal, Purshotam Singh, Shugar Din, Pavan Sharma, Baldev Mankoita, Kewal Sharma, Sukhjit, Angrez Singh, Pritam Sharma and Ved Parkash.
