news details |
|
|
| Forest evacuation drive exposes Govt's double standards | | Jungle main mangal! | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 8: Even as the government is claiming to be executing a mega drive to get rid of encroachments from forestland in Jammu province, Tehsil Sunderbani in Rajouri district narrates a story of discrimination.
Whereas people from a particular community including Gujjar and Bakerwals are being forcibly evacuated from the forestland, though they have no other means of earning livelihood, around 5,000 kanals of land under the illegal occupation of people associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party are being spared. Even though the concerned officials are aware of the land grab they are silent.
Sources said group of concerned citizens had shared the details with the Forest department but no action was taken as some politicians wielding influence in the area belong to BJP whereas the Forest Minister is also from the same party.
The dislocated Gujjar and Bakarwals said: "We are left with no place to live or to earn livelihood. How will we survive now?"
Sources said when the Forest Department started the evacuation drive some whistleblowers including one associated with Early Times had approached the officials with details of the henchmen from a ruling party who have illegally occupied the forestland.
The whistleblower had shared details of atleast 15 powerful persons who have grabbed hundreds of kanals of forestland along with details of land records. "We had given them complete details of the forestland under illegal occupation and how it was being misused," said a whistleblower.
But to his shock, instead of taking action, the Forest department officials leaked the details of the whistleblowers to the political party workers and they started attacking them.
"Our life is at risk. The Forest department officials are hand in glove with the BJP and leaked our details to them. This is sheer corruption and favoritism," the concerned citizens said.
They said the drive to free forestland should not be discriminatory but that all should be treated in the same way. "If the mud houses of poor Gujjar and Bakerwals have been dismantled, why is the department silent over construction of Pucca houses by these political henchmen," said a delegation of concerned citizens.
When contacted the concerned Forest official tried to downplay the matter. "We are at the job, it will take some time to free the land with them(BJP workers)," he said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
