VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Notwithstanding the State Government constituting a 4-member committee to identify encroached forest land in Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika and Sidhra areas of Jammu District, a BJP minister has raised an empire, comprising two colleges and a school at forest land, measuring over 10 to 15 Kanals at Nowabad Sunjwan.
Around 3,200 Kanal forest land is encroached in these habitations.
A portion of the commercial building constructed on forest land by the BJP’s Transport Minister A.G Kohli has been rented out to J&K Bank for Sunjwan Branch along with an ATM while a mobile tower has also been raised on the same land.
It is a billion dollar question that how the permissions to run college, school and a bank branch has been granted without verifying the ownership.
J&K Bank has hired the portion of building on same land without verifying the ownership. This piece of land falls under Khasra number 356 min at Sunjwan.
When asked, Divisional Forest Officer Jammu Senthil Kumar, who is also member of the Demarcation Committee, said, “We have been asked to demarcate the land in four areas and report to the government.”
“Over 3,200 Kanal of forest land is under encroachment in Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika and Sidhra areas,” stated Kumar adding, “no one is above law and the government will take action against the encroachers,”
“The committee will submit its report within two months,” Kumar added,
Over 186 hectare of land is under encroachment in Jammu Division. However, the government has formed the committee for Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika and Sidhra only.
To identify encroached forest land in these areas where most of the bureaucrats, politicians besides other influential persons have grabbed the land, the State Government has constituted a committee, headed by the Chief Conservator of Forest (S and D), J and K, Jammu.
The committee will ascertain the status of land and delineation of forest land from other land so as to avoid the encroachment. It will get the demarcation conducted on the identified locations and finalise its report and recommendations within a period of two months.
The four-member committee comprises Divisional Forest Officer, Jammu; Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, Jammu; Divisional Forest Officer, Demarcation, Jammu and Director Land Management, JDA.
“Such committees are just eye wash,” said a retired officer. The government before ordering inquiry should order its own ministers to vacate the encroached land.”
Despite repeated calls, Minister A.G Kohli could not be reached. His personal aides also expressed their inability in putting through to the minister so that his version could be carried with regard to alleged encroachment of the forest land on which a huge commercial enterprise stands raised in violation of norms.
Nobody in the administration, meanwhile, could explain as to why various utility services stand provided to the unauthorised complex, which ought to have been seized in the first instance, dismantled and necessary legal action initiated against the offender, in this case the minister himself.
