JAMMU: Reiterating the resolve of the government to free the forest land from the clutches of encroachers whether he is a politician, police personnel or a cabinet Minister, BJP State Spokesperson Farooq Khan said that strict action will be taken as nobody is above law, if found guilty.
When asked to comment on the reports that some BJP leaders including Legislators and Ministers have also encroached state land, Khan said, “BJP believes in transparency, if any such allegation is proven, the person will not be allowed to continue in the party.”
When asked about involvement of BJP’s Transport Minister A.G Kohli in encroaching upon State forest land in Bathindi area of Jammu district, Khan said that so for the government has not received any official report in this regard but action will be initiated if the said minister is found guilty.
It is pertinent to mention that STATE TIMES carried a report under the caption ‘BJP minister owns ’empire’ on forest land’ on 1st June, 2015 regarding usurping of around 10 to 15 Kanals of forest land at Nowabad Sunjwan. The report has also mentioned about encroachments in Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika and Sidhra areas of Jammu District comprising about 3200 Kanals of forest land.
Khan accused the opposition parties of joining hands with separatist forces to communalise the issue of the eviction of encroachment from the state forest land.
“They (opposition leaders) lost elections and now they have joined hands with separatists and anti-national elements and were trying to communalise the issue of the eviction of encroachment from the state forest land,” Khan said.
He alleged that the opposition leaders were playing politics over the issue as they themselves had encroached upon a huge chunk of forest land in the state.
“During the tenure of the last government, a huge chunk of forest land was encroached upon and now they are trying to communalise the issue by saying that Muslims were the target of the encroachment drive,” Khan asserted adding that the anti-encroachment drive launched by the government had complete support from the Muslim community in the region.
The State Government has launched an anti-encroachment drive to evict the encroachment from the state forest land, however there have been allegations that the drive was aimed at a particular community in Jammu.
Once again lauding the efforts of forest authorities under the dynamic guidance of Forest Minister Bali Bhagat, Khan called upon the forest authorities to extend this drive to other areas of the state where the unholy nexus between corrupt politicians and bureaucrats has played havoc with the forest wealth of the State. The State Government has also constituted a 4-member committee to identify encroached forest land in Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika and Sidhra areas of Jammu District.
JK Cell Convenor S.S Bijral was also present in the press conference.