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| Ex- Cong minister among several others involved in forest land grabbing | | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Srinagar June 17: The government today stated that a former Congress minister was among several others, including employees, who had encroached forest land at different places in the state and claimed that the process was on to take this land back from them. In written reply to a question, the government stated that out of total geographical area within the LoC, the demarcated forest constitutes 20230 sq km which is 19.95% of the area and added that the forest area is shrinking due to degradation of demarcated forests caused by various biotic pressures including human beings. It said the diversion of 11924 hector forest land for non forestry purposes under J&K Forest Conservation Act 1997 for developmental purposes had caused reduction of forest cover and added that 12030.49 hectors of demarcated forest land is under encroachment in the state.
In reply to another question of the MLA, wherein he seeks details from the government regarding encroachment of forest land by ministers, ex-ministers, MLAs, MLCs, bureaucrats and business houses, the government said that an ex-Congress minister had encroached an area of 26.20 kanal of forest land in compartment V-4c Sedev of Shopian Forest Division and added that under section 48(a) of Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act, eviction notices had been served upon him for vacating of the land, but he had filed an appeal in J&K Special Tribunal, Srinagar, where the matter was under trial.
The government said a hotlier had encroached approximately one kanal of Forest Land in Compartment 39/Gul for which legal eviction notice had been issued to him for vacating the land and it would be got evicted in due course of time after completing all legal formalities.
Similarly, six hotels in Jammu's famous tourist resort of Patitop too had encroached forest land. Two marlas of land had been encroached by one hotel and 1.9 kanals by the other. One of the hotels had encroached forest land for construction of road leading to hotel. Other hotels had encroached 360 sq ft land, 2268 sq ft for road construction, 1415 sq ft for making floral bed and shoping complex and 1-2 marlas for road construction leading to the hotel. The government stated that proceedings under J&K Public Premises (Eviction of unauthorized occupants) act 1959 were initiated against the encroachers and added that the cases are under litigation in different courts.
The government said forest land encroached by 8 other hotels in Patnitop has been evicted by the department so far.
Among others, Medical Department Employee Ishtiyak Ahmed Shapoo, Mohammad Aslam, working as JE in PWD department, were also found to have encroached the forest land in Khasra No 371.
The government stated that a plot of area about 22 kanals was allotted by it to one R P Sharma vide order No 354-FST 2006 dated 3-7-2006 and added that he sold the plots to many influential persons and many people had constructed houses on this land which was purchased by them from him. The allotment of the land was accordingly challenged in the high court through PIL and court quashed the government order regarding allotment of Forest Land to Sharma who later filed a review petition before the Supreme Court of India and the case is pending in the said court. |
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