Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 13: At least 31 saw mills are operating illegally in Kalidhar-Akhnoor forest range, despite a campaign launched by the Forest department against encroachment of forestland. In response to an RTI application, the office of Divisional Forest Officer Jammu has provided details about the 31 sawmills. Out of them, 14 are operating without licence while the licences of the rest sawmills were not renewed after they expired.
The sawmills whose licences were not renewed by the Forest department are: Gitan Saw Mill Pallanwala, Nanda Saw Mill Matobhoper, Harnam Saw Mill Pargwal, Sudesh Saw Mill Garhi Nanda, Maan Lal Saw Mill Garhi Bishanah, Ravi Saw Mill Bandral Jourian, Pooja Saw Mill Chakmore, Malhotra Saw Mill Nardi, Thakur Saw Mill Bomal, Friend Saw Mill Devipur, Rattan Saw Mill Sohal, Jai Durga Saw Mill Kangrail Sohal, Rama Saw Mill and Raj Saw Mill (Manda, Akhnoor), Ganesh Saw Mill Rakh Dhok Jourianm, Bodh Raj Sharma Saw Mill Camp Khour and Bhagwati saw Mill Jourian.
The 14 sawmills which never had any licence are: Kher Singh Vaishno Saw Mill Pallanwala, Vijay Kumar Saw Mill Hamirpur, Vijay Kumar Saw Mill Datyal Khour, Subash Chander Saw Mill Pangali Colony, Sohan Singh saw mill Plattan, Vijay Kumar Saw Mill Tanda Seora, Pushpinder Singh Ganderwan, Joginder Pal Saw Mill Khuga More, PUran Chand Saw Mill Daskal, Kamal Krishan Saw Mill Daskal, Joginder Pal Saw Mill Nardi Taehwaran, Tarsem Lal Saw Mill Jakheri, Sardari Lal Saw Mill Mawa Karora and Vikram Singh Saw Mill Lehar.
The Forest department has also furnished a list of 140 sawmills that have been operating legally with valid license.
DFO Jammu, Dr. V.S. Senthil Kumar said that most of the sawmills were those whose licence was not renewed.
"The sawmill owners went to court and secured stay, but the department has filed the reply through Advocate General. As soon as the department will get permission from court, the sawmills will be dismantled," Kumar added. |
