Early Times Report
Jammu, July 2: In close coordination with the officials of Forest department, hundreds of acres of forest land have already been encroached whereas more is likely to be encroached upon in the coming days in Nagrota tehsil of Jammu district.
Sources informed Early Times that in block Dansal of tehsil Nagrota, hundreds of acres of land have already been encroached upon by land grabbers in last few days. "Most of the affected villages where land grabbers have been encroaching upon the land are Simbal Lehar, Rakh Pangali, Rakh Dammi, Chibba, Panjgarain, Gambir, Thanda Pani, Bamyal and Marh", sources said, adding that few months back, when Lal Singh was Forest Minister, he had got many encroachments vacated from the land grabbers.
But since his ouster from the cabinet and after the transfer of an upright District Forest Officer, under a well executed plan, forest fires were reported from these villages. "Forest from hundreds of acres was cleared by using forest fire as a tool which were deliberate act of the land grabbers. Now after the rains, the same forest land has been cultivated by the land grabbers and now crops have been sown there", sources said.
They further informed that some of the areas have already been encroached, whereas in some areas, encroachers, would be going to cultivate the same in coming days for sowing grass.
"Two Forest guards posted in the area are also locals and one of them has been posted there for the last over 8-9 years. The other is posted there for the last over 5 years", sources said, adding that these forest guards had a truck with land grabbers and have been getting huge money from the land encroachers, to keep their mouth shut.
Sources further disclosed that under a well planned conspiracy, a new burial ground was also established by some of the locals just opposite to Government Middle School Simbled. "One woman was buried there some years back in the forest area and now it has been converted into a burial ground, which is totally illegal. Actually the burial ground was some kilometres away from this place but under the garb of a new burial ground the land grabbers have been destroying jungles and encroaching more land", sources said.
Sources further disclosed that if an investigation would be ordered into the matter, it would easily come to fore that thousands of acres of forest land has already been encroached by well established land grabbers with active connivance of the forest officials. The Governor office must order enquiry in the matter and get the forest land vacated from the encroachers, sources appealed. |
