Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 13: On one hand the Forest Minister Bali Bhagat has launched a campaign against forest land grabbers, but his own party colleagues are allegedly trying to encroach the forest land.
Sources informed Early Times that the attempt to encroach the forest land came to fore when SRK Associate tried to raise a boundary wall at village Chatta, in Sunjwani area. "The owner of the SRK Associate is a BJP leader, who had earlier floated a party and had contested Lok-Sabha elections unsuccessfully," they said. They further said that SRK Associate owns several hundred Kanals of land in Village Chatta and they are planning to execute a major project in the area.
"Apart from several hundred Kanal of land, the SRK Associate was allegedly attempting to encroach adjoining forest land", sources said.
With an aim to restrict the forest officials intervention, sources said the SRK Associate field a litigation in the court seeking directions to restrict forest official to intervene in the area. "Vast stretches' of forest area was cleared by SRK Associate and they were trying to construct a boundary-wall to encroach upon forest area. Under well planned conspiracy, the application was field in the court, seeking direction against forest department, given the upcoming one month vacation in the court" Sources said.
They further said the court gave only two days to forest department to file objections. "After hectic efforts, the forest department submitted a reply before the court, after which the court, refused to restrict forest department to intervene in the matter", they added.
They further divulged that forest department has thousand Kanal of land, in Sunjwan area and attempt has been made, not only opposition party leaders, but by the BJP leaders themselves, which exposed the hollowness of anti encroachers drive of BJP minister. |
